The Role of Epigenetic Modifications in Late Complications in Type 1 Diabetes
Barbara Čugalj Kern, Katarina Trebušak Podkrajšek, Jernej Kovač, Robert Šket, Barbara Jenko Bizjan, Tine Tesovnik, Maruša Debeljak, Tadej Battelino, Nataša Bratina
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the destruction of pancreatic β cells leads to hyperglycemia. The prevention of hyperglycemia is very important to avoid or at least postpone the development of micro- and macrovascular complications, also known as late complications. These include diabetic retinopathy, chronic renal failure, diabetic neuropathy, and cardiovascular diseases. The impact of long-term hyperglycemia has been shown to persist long after the normalization of blood glucose levels, a phenomenon known as metabolic memory. It is believed that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNAs, play an important role in metabolic memory. The aim of this review is to address the impact of long-term hyperglycemia on epigenetic marks in late complications of type 1 diabetes.