Jas. Mclellan et al., PREVALENCE OF DIABETES-MELLITUS AND IMPAIRED GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE IN PARENTS OF WOMEN WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES, Diabetologia, 38(6), 1995, pp. 693-698
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Endocrynology & Metabolism","Medicine, General & Internal
Nuclear families of non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) patients ar
e uncommon, as usually one or both parents have died. In order to aid
identification of complete nuclear families, we have ascertained the d
isease process at a younger age by studying subjects with previous ges
tational diabetes. One hundred women who had had gestational diabetes,
age (+/- SD) 38 (6) years, were screened by fasting plasma glucose (f
pg). Sixty-one were found to have either fasting hyperglycaemia (5.5 l
ess than or equal to fpg < 7.8 mmol/l) or diabetes. Of these women 35
had both parents alive and the parents of 14 of these women agreed to
the assessment of their metabolism by a continuous infusion of glucose
with model assessment (CIGMA). Seven probands had impaired glucose to
lerance (IGT) and seven were diabetic. They were age 35 (4) years and
had body mass index (BMI) 26 (5) kg/m(2) The parents were aged 62 (6)
years and had BMI29 (6) kg/m(2) and their affection status was defined
as presence of glucose intolerance (fpg or post-infusion achieved pla
sma glucose level > 2 SD of an age and obesity matched population). In
the 14 families, five probands (36%) had neither parent affected, six
(43%) had one parent affected and three (21%) had both parents affect
ed. Only three probands had a parent with diabetes as defined by World
Health Organisation criteria. We concludes that the study of women wh
o have had gestational diabetes allows detection of probands with diab
etes or impaired glucose tolerance, who have both parents available fo
r study. A substantial proportion had neither parent affected with imp
aired glucose tolerance or diabetes, similar to the nuclear families o
f NIDDM patients. The results are in accord with studies of nuclear fa
milies of NIDDM patients in suggesting polygenic inheritance or enviro
nmental influences rather than autosomal dominant inheritance with hig
h penetrance.