ATP6V1H Gene Expression in Type 2 Diabetes

The purpose of this research was threefold: 1) to study the demographic and physiological parameters of nine individuals in the CCHC who developed diabetes over the three years of the study period; 2) to investigate whether the gene encoding subunit H of V-ATPase (ATP6V1H) was down-regulated in the nine individuals as they progressed from pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes; 3) to perform an extensive literature review of the ATP6V1H gene and its protein product, V-ATPase subunit H, to postulate what role it might play in the development of diabetes and its complications. According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 346 million cases of diabetes worldwide, 90% of which are accredited specifically to type 2 diabetes. As type 2 diabetes continues to raise concern, researchers are beginning to turn their focus to the inherent factors that predispose individuals to the disease, one of which is genetics. Recently, a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes was observed in a 2,500-member cohort of Mexican-Americans established on the US-Mexican border, specifically in Brownsville (Cameron County), Texas.