In conclusion, the finding of decreased levels of Hsp-72 mRNA in skeletal muscle of patients with type 2 diabetes and its relationship with insulin resistance raises the question of whether heat shock proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes.
In contrast, a significant relative risk of type 2 diabetes was found associated with the P2-HSP70-2 homozygous genotype in non obese diabetic subjects (OR=1.97; p=0.0012).
Increasing evidence is showing the association of heat-shock protein (HSP) with type-2 diabetes and CVD; however, there is little data on the relationship between the genetic-polymorphisms of HSP70-2 with obesity.
Studies of a polymorphic PstI site lying in the coding region at position 1267 of the HSP70-2 gene have shown that the BB genotype is associated with NIDDM.
These data suggest that strategies to maintain HSP72 may provide therapeutic benefit to enhance mitochondrial quality and insulin action to ameliorate complications associated with metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes.