Following reports of aberrant p38 MAPK signalling in skeletal muscle of type 2 diabetic patients [10] and increased phosphorylation and activity of p38 MAPK upon hyperglycaemia in cultured L6 myotubes [46] we decided to asses whether insulin action upon mitogenic signalling pathway can be also implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in LBW men. This evidence concerns the gene INS and type 2 diabetes mellitus.