DNA PROBES TO DETECT PREDISPOSITION TO TYPE I DIABETES

INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS (TYPE I) OCCURS IN ABOUT 0.5% OF CAUCASIANS. THE INCIDENCE INCREASES OVER 20-FOLD IN INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SPEIFIC SUSCEPTIBILITY GENE HLA-DQ3.2. APPROXIMATELY 70% OF INDIVIDUALS WHO BECOME INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETICS CARRY THIS GENE, MAKING IT THE MOST SPECIFIC MARKER KNOWN FOR IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS AT RISK. CLEARLY THIS ILLUSTRATES THE NEED FOR SCREENING AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE DQ3.2 GENE. IN THIS WORK, DNA OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES WILL BE USED IN A NYLON BEAD-BASED SANDWICH HYBRIDIZATION ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF THE DQ3.2 GENE IN HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES. HYBRIDIZATION WITH TARGET DQ3.2 GENE WILL BE DETECTED USING A CHEMILUMINESCENT SIGNAL SYSTEM. THE PROCEDURES WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR THE RAPID EXTRACTION AND DETECTION OF THE DQ3.2 GENE WITH HIGH SPECIFICITY AND SENSITIVITY.