Histocompatibility antigens and diabetic retinopathy

Of 160 patients with onset of diabetes at or after 30 years of age, the 84 with no evidence of diabetic retinopathy were found to have significantly increased prevalences of HLA-A1 and B8 when compared with the 76 with retinal complications or with the 282 healthy blood donors. In addition, in 90 patients with onset of diabetes before age 30 years, we could confirm the reported significant increase of HLA-B8 and decrease of B7, but no differences were noted between those juvenile-onset diabetics with and those without retinopathy.