Genetics of type 2 diabetes in Arabs: What we know to date

Abstract 

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is among the most challenging health issues of the 21st century and is associated with an alarming rise in the incidence. The Arab population is no exception to this trend. The pathophysiological processes that lead to development of T2D are still unclear, however impairment in insulin secretion and/or action is clearly indicated. T2D is a complex disease with susceptibility being governed by the interaction of multiple genetic and environmental effects. Previous studies indicated that variants in genes encoding the pancreatic β-cell K+ATP channel subunits Kir6.2 (KCNJ11) and SUR1 (ABCC8) are associated with type 2 diabetes. The common Pro12Ala polymorphism in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ gene (PPAR-γ) was confirmed in several studies to be associated with type 2 diabetes as well. More recently, studies reported variants within a novel gene, TCF7L2, as a putative susceptibility gene for type 2 diabetes across many ethnic backgrounds around the world. However, studies to date in Arab cohorts remain limited.