Serotonin is elevated in risk-genotype carriers of TCF7L2 - rs7903146

The transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) polymorphism rs7903146 is known to be tightly associated with an elevated risk for type 2 diabetes, whereas the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. We evaluated the metabolic profile of a total of 394 patients’ serum samples with respect to their rs7903146 genotype using targeted metabolomics in a discovery (n = 154) and a validation (n = 240) study. We have identified serotonin as the top metabolite being increased in carriers of the risk allele. Serotonin was significantly associated with the rs7903146 genotype after full adjustment including type 2 diabetes and further top ranked metabolites. Given the role of peripheral serotonin in metabolic homeostasis and type 2 diabetes, this finding provides a first hint that the well-known impact of the TCF7L2 polymorphism on type 2 diabetes risk may involve a serotonin-dependent pathway.