scholarly journals Heritability of Type 2 Diabetes in the Washington State Twin Registry

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ally R. Avery ◽  
Glen E. Duncan

AbstractApproximately 12% of U.S. adults have type 2 diabetes (T2D). Diagnosed T2D is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors including age and lifestyle. In adults 45 years and older, the Discordant Twin (DISCOTWIN) consortium of twin registries from Europe and Australia showed a moderate-to-high contribution of genetic factors of T2D with a pooled heritability of 72%. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of genetic and environmental factors of T2D in twins 45 years and older in a U.S. twin cohort (Washington State Twin Registry, WSTR) and compare the estimates to the DISCOTWIN consortium. We also compared these estimates with twins under the age of 45. Data were obtained from 2692 monozygotic (MZ) and same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs over 45 and 4217 twin pairs under 45 who responded to the question ‘Has a doctor ever diagnosed you with (type 2) diabetes?’ Twin similarity was analyzed using both tetrachoric correlations and structural equation modeling. Overall, 9.4% of MZ and 14.7% of DZ twins over the age of 45 were discordant for T2D in the WSTR, compared to 5.1% of MZ and 8% of DZ twins in the DISCOTWIN consortium. Unlike the DISCOTWIN consortium in which heritability was 72%, heritability was only 52% in the WSTR. In twins under the age of 45, heritability did not contribute to the variance in T2D. In a U.S. sample of adult twins, environmental factors appear to be increasingly important in the development of T2D.

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delphine Fradin ◽  
Pierre Bougnères

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder influenced by interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetics conveys specific environmental influences into phenotypic traits through a variety of mechanisms that are often installed in early life, then persist in differentiated tissues with the power to modulate the expression of many genes, although undergoing time-dependent alterations. There is still no evidence that epigenetics contributes significantly to the causes or transmission of T2DM from one generation to another, thus, to the current environment-driven epidemics, but it has become so likely, as pointed out in this paper, that one can expect an efflorescence of epigenetic knowledge about T2DM in times to come.


2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaqueline M. Vink ◽  
Annemieke S. Staphorsius ◽  
Dorret I. Boomsma

AbstractCaffeine is by far the most commonly used psychoactive substance. Caffeine is consumed regularly as an ingredient of coffee. Coffee consumption and coffee preference was explored in a sample of 4,495 twins (including 1,231 pairs) registered with the Netherlands Twin Registry. Twin resemblance was assessed by tetrachoric correlations and the influence of both genetic and environmental factors was explored with model fitting analysis in MX. Results showed moderate genetic influences (39%) on coffee consumption. The remaining variance was explained by shared environmental factors (21%) and unique environmental factors (40%). The variance in coffee preference (defined as the proportion of coffee consumption relative to the consumption of coffee and tea in total) was explained by genetic factors (62%) and unique environmental factors (38%).


Author(s):  
Tajudeen Yahaya

The need to reverse the growing incidence and burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) worldwide has led to more studies on the possible causes of the disease. Genetic and environmental factors had long been suspected in the pathogenesis of a form of the disease known as the Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, more recent studies suggest epigenetic changes could also be involved in the onset of the disease. This review highlights the role of epigenetic modifications in the pathogenesis and management of T2DM. Peer reviewed studies on the subject were retrieved from reputable sources over the internet, and the majority of the studies unanimously implicated epigenetic modifications in the pathogenesis of some cases of the disease. DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNAs mediated pathways were observed to be the main mechanisms of epigenetic changes. These mechanisms are triggered by certain environmental factors such as diets, microbial and pollutant exposure, lifestyles, among others, prior to the onset of T2DM. Epigenetic changes can modify the expressions and functions of certain genes involved in insulin biosynthesis and glucose metabolism, leading to hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, which are hallmarks of T2DM. Fortunately, epigenetic changes can be reversed by blocking or activating the modulating enzymes, thus if the epigenetic aetiology of a diabetic condition is identified, it can be used as a therapeutic strategy.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. e0217189
Author(s):  
Saebom Jeon ◽  
Ji-yeon Shin ◽  
Jaeyong Yee ◽  
Taesung Park ◽  
Mira Park

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