Transcriptomic profiles in peripheral blood cells in relation to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Persistent Organic Pollutant exposure

Introduction Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) counts among the major health-care burden in terms of morbidity, mortality and cost. Although recent studies have identified significant associations between exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and T2DM, mechanisms linking POPs to T2DM remain largely unknown. Here, we provide insight into the biological plausibility of the POPs-T2DM association in humans. This encompasses the identification of genes and gene-sets whose expression in peripheral blood cells is altered by both T2DM status and POP exposure. Methods Blood gene expression profiles from 108 women with T2DM and 108 age-matched controls were analyzed. The concentration of selected polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides were measured in plasma samples from the same subjects. Differences in gene expression according to T2DM status, body mass index (BMI) and increasing POP concentration were assessed using paired gene-wise linear analysis and functional class scoring. Results ...