Transcriptome meta-analysis of peripheral lymphomononuclear cells indicates that gestational diabetes is closer to type 1 diabetes than to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

We performed a meta-analysis of the transcription profiles of type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes to evaluate similarities and dissimilarities among these diabetes types. cRNA samples obtained from peripheral blood lymphomononuclear cells (PBMC) of 56 diabetes mellitus patients (type 1 = 19; type 2 = 20; gestational = 17) were hybridized to the same whole human genome oligomicroarray platform, encompassing 44,000 transcripts. The GeneSpring software was used to perform analysis and hierarchical clustering, and the DAVID database was used for gene ontology. The gene expression profiles showed more similarity between gestational and type 1 diabetes rather than between type 2 and gestational diabetes, a finding that was not influenced by patient gender and age. The meta-analysis of the three types of diabetes disclosed 3,747 differentially and significantly expressed genes. A total of 486 genes were characteristic of gestational diabetes, 202 genes of type 1, and 651 genes of type 2 diabetes. 19 known genes were shared by type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, highlighting EGF, FAM46C, HBEGF, ID1, SH3BGRL2, VEPH1, and TMEM158 genes. The meta-analysis of PBMC transcription profiles characterized each type of diabetes revealing that gestational and type 1 diabetes were transcriptionally related.