GENES WITHIN THE MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX PREDICT NIDDM IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN IN ALABAMA

OBJECTIVE - To test the hypothesis that genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and, subsequently, non-insulin-dependent diabetes melltus (NIDDM) in African-American women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - African-American women who presented with GDM were compared with pregnant African-American control subjects. Following pregnancy, GDM patients were assessed at various intervals of time (median = 6 years) to determine whether they had developed diabetes. RESULTS - GDM patients who required insulin during pregnancy possessed a significantly higher frequency of A33, DR2, DR9, and BF-S phenotypes than control subjects. GDM patients who subsequently developed NIDDM had a significantly higher frequency of B41, DR2, and BF-S and a lower frequency of DR1 and DR6 phenotypes than control subjects. Even after controlling for age and body mass index, B41 and DR2 were independent predictors of developing insulin-requiring GDM and NIDDM in GDM subjects. CONCLUSIONS - These results suggest that either one or more genes within the MHC are involved in the etiology of NIDDM.