Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease characterized by insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and malfunction of pancreatic β-cells. Chronic hyperglycemia contributes to oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, and late complications. Dysregulated activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which play a key role in extracellular matrix remodeling, contributes to the development of vascular late complications. In addition, MMPs are involved in the homeostasis of numerous tissues, cell apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, and wound healing. Studies show that genetic variants of MMP2 have been associated with the development of microvascular complications, including diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic neuropathy. It has also been demonstrated that MMP14 plays an important role in adipose tissue and is upregulated in obesity. The aim of our genetic association retrospective study was to determine the influence of selected genetic polymorphisms in the MMP2 gene (rs243865, rs243849, rs7201) and the MMP14 gene (rs1042703, rs1042704, rs743257) on T2D management, metabolic alterations, and the occurrence of late complications. We enrolled 207 patients with T2D, where the selected polymorphisms were analyzed using the competitive allele-specific PCR. We found that the MMP2 rs7201 polymorphism was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing peripheral artery disease. The polymorphic alleles of MMP14 rs743257 and MMP2 rs243865 were associated with the development of microvascular complications, including diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy. We have shown that genetic variations in MMP genes play an important role in the development of late complications of T2D, opening up new opportunities for more personalized approaches to diabetes treatment.
|
