A subtype of diabetes mellitus associated with a mutation in the mitochondrial gene

Recently, in patients with diabetes and deafness, researchers have identified an A to G transition at position 3243 in transfer ribonucleic acid(Leu)(UUR) [3243 base-pair (bp) mutation], originally found in patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes. To determine the prevalence of diabetic patients with this mutation in Japan, we screened selected cohorts of diabetic patients based upon type of diabetes, family history of diabetes, and age of onset; also screened were 550 unselected cohorts of diabetic patients, without prior information. We identified 5 patients with the 3243-bp mutation, suggesting that approximately 0.9% of diabetic patients have it. However, there were none with this mutation in 250 controls with normal glucose tolerance. We also studied the clinical characteristics and insulin secretory characteristics of diabetic patients with 3243-bp mutation. We propose that diabetes mellitus with 3243-bp mutation is a novel subtype of diabetes mellitus, maternally inherited diabetes, and deafness (MIDD).