Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in Latvian patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and healthy controls.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec;1037:161-9

Authors: Nikitina-Zake L, Rajalingham R, Rumba I, Sanjeevi CB

T1DM is very common in Sweden and is positively associated with HLA class II genes. Approximately 89% of the newly diagnosed patients carry the high-risk HLA DR4-DQ8 and DR3-DQ2. The remaining 11% develop T1DM without them. This can be due to involvement of other genes and environmental factors. Natural killer (NK) cells of the innate immune system are important in antiviral and antitumor immunity. They are implicated in the etiology of autoimmune T1DM. Human NK cells express killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) that belong to the polymorphic multigene family in chromosome 19q3.4. They modulate NK cell response by interacting with HLA class I. In addition, polymorphic MICA in HLA class I interacts with non-polymorphic NKG2D receptor on NK cells. We have studied, in addition to HLA-DR and -DQ, genes of the innate immune system MICA and KIR in Latvian patients (n = 98) with T1DM and controls (n = 100). They were genotyped using standard PCR-based typing methods. MICA allele 5 is positively associated with T1DM. KIR2DL2 and KIR2DS2 were both positively associated. Combined association of MICA4 and KIR2DL2 gave an odds ration (OR) of 26.7. However, the combined risk of KIR2DL2 and HLA class II genes, HLADR3 (OR = 73.4), DR4 (OR = 66.8), and DR3 and DR4 (OR = 88.3), was higher. The maximum risk was when KIR2DL2, MICA5, and DR3/DR4 were in combination. In conclusion, our results suggest that a balance between innate and acquired immunity is important, and an imbalance coud lead to T1DM.

PMID: 15699512 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

An autosomal genomic scan for loci linked to type 2 diabetes in northern Han Chinese.

J Mol Med. 2005 Mar;83(3):209-15

Authors: Zhao JY, Xiong MM, Huang W, Wang H, Zuo J, Wu GD, Chen Z, Qiang BQ, Zhang ML, Chen JL, Ding W, Yuan WT, Xu HY, Jin L, Li YX, Sun Q, Liu QY, Boerwinkle E, Fang FD

We report the results of a genome-wide scan conducted in 219 individuals from 34 large multiplex nuclear pedigrees from the northern Han Chinese population at an average resolution of about 10 cM. Nonparametric two-point and multipoint linkage analyses were performed to detect evidence of linkage with type 2 diabetes in this study. On chromosome 1 four regions showed evidence of linkage with type 2 diabetes in northern Han Chinese. Of these regions a marker D1S193 (73 cM) showed evidence of linkage (two-point nonparametric linkage 2.409), and another region (around 190 cM) was a replication of several other studies performed in different ethnic populations. Evidences of linkage have been confirmed by typing additional markers (average distance 1-5 cM) flanking these two positive regions on chromosome 1. We also found indication of linkage with type 2 diabetes on chromosomes 2, 10, 12, 18, 20, and 22 by two-point linkage analyses.

PMID: 15776287 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Zygomycosis in a tertiary-care cancer center in the era of Aspergillus-active antifungal therapy: a case-control observational study of 27 recent cases.

J Infect Dis. 2005 Apr 15;191(8):1350-60

Authors: Kontoyiannis DP, Lionakis MS, Lewis RE, Chamilos G, Healy M, Perego C, Safdar A, Kantarjian H, Champlin R, Walsh TJ, Raad II

Anecdotal evidence suggests a rise in zygomycosis in association with voriconazole (VRC) use in immunosuppressed patients.

PMID: 15776383 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Use of HLA typing in diagnosing celiac disease in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes Care. 2005 Apr;28(4):806-9

Authors: Doolan A, Donaghue K, Fairchild J, Wong M, Williams AJ

This study examines the use of HLA typing for the diagnosis of celiac disease in a group of Australians with type 1 diabetes.

PMID: 15793177 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]