Association with the HLA DQB1*06:02/DQA1*01:02 (98% vs. 25%) heterodimer (DQ0602), T cell receptors (TCR) and other immune loci suggest autoimmunity but autoantigens are unknown.
While autoimmunity accounts for at least half of patients with Addison's disease in South Africa and is associated with HLA DQB1*0201, none of the Black Africans or Asians in this cohort had adrenal autoantibodies.
We present the case of a well characterised M.O.D.Y. type 2 diabetes family in which one of the children associated beta cell autoimmunity and a HLA DQB1 at risk for immune-mediated type 1 diabetes mellitus.