Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial metabolic disease, which is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. This pointed epigenetics as a possible molecular link between environmental factors and T2DM. Mechanisms affecting epigenome are DNA methylation, histone modification, and aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs). In this chapter, the basic epigenetic mechanisms are described, in the context of pathogenesis and progression of T2DM. Because epigenetic regulation has tissue-specific manner, the epigenetic changes in the main affected organs are reviewed—pancreas and peripheral tissues (skeletal muscles, liver, adipose tissue, serum, and plasma). PDX1 (encoding for pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein) was reported as one of the most promising pancreatic epigenetic markers. Suggested epigenetic blood marker is IGFBP1 (encoding for insulin-like growth factor–binding protein 1). Several new differentially methylated genes were reported together with known genes for islets function. The main aspects of miRNAs in T2DM are defined. Epigenetics is considered in vascular complications of T2DM, as well as in regard to increased cancer risk.
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