Recent advances in exploring the genetic susceptibility to diabetic neuropathy.
Diabetic polyneuropathy and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy are common and disabling complications of diabetes. Although glycaemic control and cardiovascular risk factors are major contributory elements in its development, diabetic neuropathy recognizes a multifactorial influence and a multiplicity of pathogenetic mechanisms. Thus genetic and environmental factors may contribute to its susceptibility, each with a modest contribution, by targeting various metabolic and microvascular pathways whose alterations intervene in diabetic neuropathy pathogenesis. This review is aimed at describing major data from the available literature regarding genetic susceptibility to diabetic neuropathies. It provides an overview of the genes reported as associated with the development or progression of these complications, i.e. ACE, MTHFR, GST, GLO1, APOE, TCF7L2, VEGF, IL-4, GPX1, eNOS, ADRA2B, GFRA2, MIR146A, MIR128A. The identification of genetic susceptibility can help in both expanding the comprehension of the pathogenetic mechanisms of diabetic nerve damage and identifying biomarkers of risk prediction and response to therapeutic intervention.
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy.
Cristina
C
Politi
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy.
Cinzia
C
Ciccacci
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Cinzia
C
D'Amato
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Novelli
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy. Electronic address: borgiani@med.uniroma2.it.
Paola
P
Borgiani
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Vincenza
V
Spallone
D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy; Diabetic polyneuropathy; Genetic susceptibility; Genomic biomarkers; Polymorphisms