In Japanese patients with "classic" T1DM, DRB1*0405-DQB1*0401 and DRB1*0901-DQB1*0303 are major susceptible HLA-DR-DQ haplotypes, whereas DRB1*1502-DQB1*0601 and DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 are protective (8). Here, HLA-DRB1 is linked to type 1 diabetes mellitus.