Significance of a common variant in the CDKAL1 gene with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in Iranian population

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a worldwide problem that threatens the public health and economies of all countries. A multifactorial etiology and interaction between environmental factors and genetic components are responsible for triggering and progression of T2DM. Recently, rs7754840 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the CDKAL1 gene was reported to be associated with T2DM in various populations. However, due to inconsistent results in various populations about the association of rs7754840 with T2DM, and lack of information in the Iranian population, we have evaluated its association with T2DM in a subset of the Iranian population from Isfahan province, central part of Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 140 patients and 140 controls selected based on the World Health Organization guidelines. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples and the rs7754840 SNP was genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay with specific primers and restriction enzyme (Ac1I). RESULTS: The frequency of the C allele in the cases was higher than that in the controls (72.9% vs. 65%; P = 0.045). Using logistic regression analysis, we found a significant risk association of CC genotype with T2DM susceptibility (OR = 2.319, 95% CI = 1.436-3.744, P = 0.001). Furthermore, compared with the CC genotype, individuals with the GC genotype had a lower risk (protective association) of developing T2DM (OR = 0.332, 95% CI = 0.202-0.547, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that there is a significant risk association between rs7754840 polymorphism and development of T2DM in a subset of the Iranian population from Isfahan province.