Diabetes mellitus type 1 According to the current definition, two fasting glucose measurements above 126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l) is considered diagnostic for diabetes mellitus. In type 1, pancreatic beta cells in the islets of Langerhans are destroyed, decreasing endogenous insulin production. This distinguishes type 1's origin from type 2. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, while type 1 diabetes is characterized by insulin deficiency, generally without insulin resistance. Another hallmark of type 1 diabetes is islet autoreactivity, which is generally measured by the presence of autoantibodies directed towards the beta cells. The appearance of diabetes-related autoantibodies has been shown to be able
Epigenetics of diabetes Type 2 indicator of an increased risk of contracting type 2 diabetes. There are a number of genes involved in chromatin methylation. One of these genes encodes the enzyme Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). MTHFR is involved in reducing 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltentetrahydrofolate. This reaction is a critical step in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. The resulting product is a methyl donor that is required for CpG and histone methylation. Mutations in this gene can lead to reduced methylation at CpG sites, and these changes in methylation patterns may increase susceptibility for Type 2 Diabetes. The most common at the gene encoding MTHFR is