Idiopathic Type 1 DiabetesSome forms of type 1 diabetes have noknown etiologies. These patients havepermanent insulinopenia and are proneto DKA, but have no evidence of b-cellautoimmunity. Although only a minorityof patients with type 1 diabetes fall intothis category, of those who do, most areof African or Asian ancestry. Individualswith this form of diabetes suffer from episodicDKA and exhibit varying degrees ofinsulin deficiency between episodes. Thisform of diabetes is strongly inherited andis not HLA associated. An absolute requirementfor insulin replacement therapyin affected patients may be intermittent.