Emerging data indicate that the HLA-DR4-DQ8 haplotype is more frequent in young children who develop IAA as the first autoantibody and progress more rapidly to clinical type 1 diabetes (before the age of 7 years), with nearly complete destruction of beta cells in the pancreas, strong lymphocytic infiltration and an elevated ratio of proinsulin to C-peptide (a marker of beta cell stress) [43–49]. The gene discussed is INS; the disease is type 1 diabetes mellitus.