Re: MOD-- MODY Genes

[Guest guest]

GREETINGS

MODY Genes

So far, scientists have identified five genes that can put a person

at risk for developing MODY, and they are continuing to look for

more. Each of these genes interferes with the normal release of

insulin by the pancreas. (This is in contrast to Type 1 diabetics,

who fail to produce insulin because the immune system destroys the

insulin-producing cells.) With too little insulin being produced,

cells of the body are unable to use the sugar glucose for fuel.

Although there are five genes that cause MODY, only three are well

understood:

HNF-4alpha: Although this was the first gene discovered, it is

responsible for diabetes in only a small number of MODY families. A

mutation in this gene causes a severe form of diabetes. In fact, 30

percent of people with a mutation in HNF-4alpha require insulin to

control their diabetes.

GCK: This is the most common gene that is mutated in MODY families,

accounting for 50 to 60 percent of MODY cases. It normally helps

regulate how the pancreas releases insulin in response to glucose.

People with a mutation in GCK develop a relatively mild form of

diabetes that rarely requires insulin for treatment.

HNF-1alpha: Mutations in this gene account for roughly 25 percent of

MODY families. People with a mutation in HNF-1alpha develop a more

serious form of diabetes and are at high risk for eye disease.

wambo1941

> Hey yall--

> I hope everyone is having a great last month of summer! I'm new to

> this group but so far it seems great and I'm glad to be part of it.

I

> live just outside Washington, DC, but I'm vacationing in Vermont

for

> the month of August. I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes 2 1/2

years

> ago and its been a series of ups and downs since then. After being

> first diagnosed, I was hospitalized, etc. However, my diabetes was

> not really progressing (which was great news!) and my A1C's were at

a

> non-diabetic level, so they thought I might have slowly progressing

> type I. However, I began to have a series of really bad,

unexplained

> lows which lasted a few weeks but eventually went away. More

recently

> I had another unexplained low and had to be hospitalized. I had

been

> sick much of this year and this just made things worse. About a

month

> later I had another series of lows. At this point I was really

> feeling miserable and so I went to the Joslin Diabetes Center in

> Boston. They began doing lots of tests, and eventually through a

> place in London, found out that I have MODY (mature onset diabetes

in

> the young). Not much is known about MODY as it is a rare form of

> diabetes which was frustrating. About a month afterwards I was

still

> feeling very sick, and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. This year

has

> been a real struggle for me in terms of my health, I ended up

missing

> about 40 days of school. Sorry to ramble on and on... I was

> wondering, does anyone else have MODY or know anything about it?

I'm

> still trying to learn about it and how to best manage it. I hope

> everyone else is doing well, sorry this post was so long!!

>

> Best,

>

> PrettyInPink1331@a...