Gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with HLA-DQ beta-chain DNA endonuclease fragments.

DNA from Caucasian normal healthy control subjects, non-gravid patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and gravida with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were analyzed with DNA probes for HLA markers associated with HLA-DR and HLA-DQ to compare the hybridization patterns of their DNA after digestion with restriction endonucleases. We report HLA-DQ beta restriction endonuclease fragments to be presented with increased frequency in Caucasian gravida with GDM as well as in subjects with IDDM. These findings provide further evidence for genetic heterogeneity in GDM and are compatible with the presence of slowly evolving IDDM in some women with "carbohydrate intolerance of variable severity with onset or first recognition during pregnancy".