DefinePK

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a complex syndrome charac­terized by hyperglycaemia, thickening of basement membrane of the capillaries and a variety of late com­plications including accelerated atherosclerosis, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Primary diabetes mellitus is broadly divided into type I or the insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and type 2 or the non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). There also exists a rare form of diabetes mellitus which is dominantly inherited, referred to as "maturity-onset" diabetes of the young and is distinct from the more common types of primary diabetes. IDDM has an earlier age of onset (usually less than 30 years), often rapid onset, is ketosis prone, associated with human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and highly associated with anti-islet cell immunity. NIDDM has a later age of onset (usally more than 40 years), often insidious onset, rarely leads to ketosis, is not associated with HLA and rarely, if ever, associated with anti- islet cell immunity1. Since IDDM is highly associated with anti- islet cell immunity, some investigators have proposed two sub­types of the type 1 diabetes: type la, the more common juvenile form2,3 thought to be initiated by viruses4,5 and type 1b6,7 found in polyendocrine patients in whom viral etiology is less conspicuous and an autoimmune anomaly is likely.