Identification Of Susceptibility Genes For Type 2 Diabetes In Chinese Han Population

Non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes (NIDDM) is characterized by hyperglycaemia due to defects in insulin secretion and action. It is a major public health problem in many developed countries, affecting 10%-20% for the population older than 45 years of age and is achieving epidemic proportions in some populations such as the Pima Indians. In China, the prevalence for adult type 2 diabetes is above 5% and the prevalence for impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) has reached to 14%, NIDDM is a leading cause of death and morbidity. It also has an enormous economic and social impact on society. but up to now, there are no specific effective methods for its prevention and treatment because the genetic factors which cause the diabetes is unclear. Although there has been considerable success in identifying the genes responsible for early-onset, monogenic forms of NIDDM (such as maturity onset diabetes of the young and maternally inherited deafness and diabetes, MODY and MIDD) and have found nearly 30 candidate genes which are related to the glucose metabolism and insulin signal transduction, there has been relatively little progress in identifying the genes responsible for the common late-onset forms of diabetes...