Interactions between maternal killer cell immunoglobulin receptor genes and foetal HLA ligand genes contribute to type 1 diabetes susceptibility in Han Chinese

In this study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that KIR haplotypes (that interact with HLA class I molecules) are associated with susceptibility in patients with T1DM in utero through maternal–foetal interaction of KIR and their HLA class I ligands in Han Chinese population. We determined the KIR genes and KIR/ligand gene combination frequencies in 59 Han Chinese children with T1D and their mothers and compared it with 159 healthy control children and their mothers. The absence of KIR‐2DS1 in the mother and the presence of HLA‐C2 ligand in the child were negatively associated with type 1 diabetes in the child. Our results indicate that maternal KIR genes and their interaction with foetal HLA‐C2 may contribute to the risk of type 1 diabetes among Han Chinese children.
Source: International Journal of Immunogenetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research