The genetics of diabetic complications

Duration of disease is the major susceptibility factor for microangiopathy. Microangiopathy does not occur without the metabolic abnormality of diabetes and there is much circumstantial evidence to implicate poor diabetic control in its pathogenesis. The rate of development and severity of complications, however, are variable even in patients with apparently similar control and about 25% of diabetics will never develop clinical evidence of microangiopathy. Studies of identical twins suggest a genetic component in the pathogenesis of retinopathy in NIDDM, and less so in IDDM, but increased capillary basement membrane thickness does not occur in the non-diabetic identical co-twins of insulin dependent diabetics. There may also be genetic heterogeneity not only of diabetes, but also of its complications, although for a given type of diabetes the prevalence of microangiopathy is often very similar in different racial groups. Associations between several different HLA molecules (particularly DR4) and microangiopathy in IDDM have been reported but not consistently confirmed. Recently the finding of an increased frequency of the B3 allotype of the fourth component of complement C4B3 in subjects with retinopathy has suggested that there is an HLA linked association. Both complement and the immunoglobulins are concerned with humoral immunity and the report of an association between a phenotype of the IgG heavy chain markers on chromosome 14 and retinopathy is of particular interest. These associations appear to be additive but independent. These reports need confirmation but provide the best evidence we have for an immunogenetic component (HLA and non-HLA linked) of the aetiology of microangiopathy, at least in IDDM. The studies of identical twins, HLA and Gm associations provide good evidence that genetic factors are involved in susceptibility to microangiopathy, at least in some diabetics, although the most relevant genes may not have been identified. Searches for better genetic markers must continue in order to identify those patients at increased risk of developing microangiopathy.