Hereditary factors in the development of diabetic renal disease.

The role of genetics in diabetic renal disease has been suspected on the basis of follow-up and familial studies. Barely half of Type 1 patients who develop a diabetic retinopathy also develop nephropathy, and the relative risk of nephropathy for a diabetic proband is around 3 if a sib is affected. Candidate genes for diabetic nephropathy can be divided into two categories: those affecting glucose metabolism in target organs of diabetic microangiopathy, and those affecting renal changes in response to hyperglycaemia. The role of angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism has been suspected for several years. Evidence of its possible role in the development and progression of diabetic renal disease is presented here.