Aldose reductase (-106) C/T gene polymorphism and possibility of macrovascular complications in Egyptian type 2 diabetic patients

INTRODUCTION: Over the past three decades, the number of people with diabetes mellitus (DM) has more than doubled globally, making it one of the most important public health challenges to all nations. Aldose reductase (AR) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the polyol pathway, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications; however, the association of the AR gene with diabetic macrovascular complications has rarely been investigated. AIM: The study aimed to identify the possible association between C(-106) T polymorphism of the AR gene and diabetic macroangiopathy in a cohort of Egyptian patients with type 2 DM. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This study was conducted on 100 Egyptian subjects, the control group (n = 20) and the patient group (n = 80) with type 2 diabetes which were further subdivided into two subgroups with (n = 48) and without macroangiopathic complications (n = 32) as evidenced by carotid intima-media thickness, electrocardiography (ECG) ischemic changes, cerebrovascular insufficiency, and peripheral vascular insufficiency. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All studied subjects were subjected to detailed history taking, clinical examination, ECG, carotid ultrasonography, routine laboratory investigations, and molecular studies including the detection of AR C(-106) T gene polymorphisms using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. RESULTS: The genotype distribution and allele frequency of AR C(-106) T showed no statistical significance also the genotypes were not associated with any of the different studied parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the C(-106) T polymorphism in the AR gene is not involved in the pathogenesis of macroangiopathy in type 2 diabetes.