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. 2017 Nov 30;6(12):113.
doi: 10.3390/jcm6120113.

Ethnic Similarities and Differences in the Relationship between Beta Cell Mass and Diabetes

Jun Inaishi  1 , Yoshifumi Saisho  2
Affiliations

Ethnic Similarities and Differences in the Relationship between Beta Cell Mass and Diabetes

Jun Inaishi et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Recent evidence has revealed that a change of functional beta cell mass is an essential factor of the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Since beta cell dysfunction is not only present in T2DM but also progressively worsens with disease duration, to preserve or recover functional beta cell mass is important in both prevention of the development of T2DM and therapeutic strategies for T2DM. Furthermore, ethnic difference in functional beta cell mass may also need to be taken into account. Recent evidences suggest that Asians have less beta cell functional capacity compared with Caucasians. Preservation or recovery of functional beta cell mass seems to be further emphasized for Asians because of the limited capacity of beta cell. This review summarizes the current knowledge on beta cell dysfunction in T2DM and discusses the similarities and differences in functional beta cell mass between ethnicities in the face of obesity and T2DM.

Keywords: Japanese; beta cell mass; diabetes; human pancreas; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypothetical schema of different changes in beta cell mass in relation to obesity/insulin resistance and beta cell workload during the development of glucose intolerance in Caucasians and Asians (Japanese). NGT: normal glucose tolerance; PreDM: prediabetes; T2DM: type 2 diabetes. Beta cell mass increases to adapt to the increased demand in obese nondiabetic individuals in the Caucasian population, while beta cell mass expansion in the face of insulin resistance is extremely limited in Asians. Despite less obesity/insulin resistance, the limited increase in beta cell mass in Asians results in a similar increase in beta cell workload to that in Caucasians. Excess beta cell workload may eventually cause loss of beta cell mass. Once beta cell mass is reduced, beta cell workload will further increase, resulting in a vicious cycle. With progression to prediabetes and overt diabetes, progressive decline of beta cell mass underlies the disease.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proposed concept of treatment strategy for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Asians in relation to functional beta cell mass. An α-glucosidase inhibitor is partly approved for use in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in Japan. Medications not approved in Japan are not included in the figure. Adapted and modified from references 4 and 45 [4,45].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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