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.
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.
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.
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).
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.