[Genetics of diabetic complications: peripheral neuropathy]

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. Chronic hyperglycaemia and/or insulin deficiency in the peripheral nerve lead to metabolic and vascular disturbances, responsible for the functional alterations and the characteristic histological abnormalities observed in the nerve fibre. Recently, genetic factors have been described, suggestive of a predisposition and/or a protective effect for diabetic neuropathy in certain patients. The search for these genetic factors through the study of polymorphism of gene involved in the various metabolic and vascular pathways, is currently increasing, but with contradictory results. The main studies and data are reviewed in this Article. The identification of candidate-genes should allowed, in the future, to better identify and manage diabetic patients at-risk for peripheral neuropathy.