IgG Heavy-Chain (GM) Allotypes and Immune Response to Insulin in Insulin-Requiring Diabetes Mellitus

IN guinea pigs1 , 2 and mice, 3 4 5 the ability to develop humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to heterologous insulins is in part controlled by immune-response genes linked to the major histocompatibility complex. In human beings as well, genes in the HLA region play some part in humoral immune reactivity to conventional insulins.6 , 7 However, immunogenetic studies have shown that the immune response has a polygenic basis. At least two different groups of immune-response genes have been demonstrated in human beings and in mice; one is linked to the major histocompatibility complex8 , 9 and the other to the IgG heavy-chain (Gm) gene complex.10 , 11 We have . . .