A study of human growth hormone and insulin gene regions in relation to metabolic control of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

The possible association of human growth hormone (hGH) and insulin (INS) ge ne regions with metabolic control in diabetes was investigated in 98 subjec ts with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM); 54 control subject s from the same population were also studied. Two polymorphic restriction s ites in the region of the hGH cluster (BGLIIA and BGLIIB) show significant association with both glycemic and hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) levels. Mean values for plasma glucose and HbA(1c) show a maximum in the BGLIIA *1/*1 ge notype and a minimum in the BGLIIA *2/*2 genotype. Mean values for plasma g lucose and HbA(1c) show a maximum in the BGLIIB *1/*2 genotype. The BGLIIA* 2/BGLIIB*1 haplotype shows a negative correlation with plasma glucose and H bA(1c) levels. Since the two markers are located in the area surrounding th e hGH-V locus, the expression of this gene in NIDDM warrants further invest igation. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.