Published in:
01-05-2009 | Short Communication
A common variant in MTNR1B, encoding melatonin receptor 1B, is associated with type 2 diabetes and fasting plasma glucose in Han Chinese individuals
Published in: Diabetologia | Issue 5/2009
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Aims/hypothesis
Recently, three groups independently reported that variation in MTNR1B, the gene encoding melatonin receptor 1B, was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, increased fasting plasma glucose and impaired insulin secretion in populations of European ancestry. In the present study, we investigated whether a single MTNR1B polymorphism was associated with type 2 diabetes in Han Chinese individuals, to elucidate whether this is a cross-populational effect.
Methods
The MTNR1B variant rs10830963 was genotyped in 1,165 type 2 diabetic patients and 1,105 normoglycaemic control individuals of southern Han Chinese ancestry who were residents of the metropolitan area of Shanghai. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes was calculated using a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex and BMI. A possible association with fasting plasma glucose was analysed in the normoglycaemic control individuals using a multiple linear regression analysis with adjustments for age, sex and BMI.
Results
The genetic variant rs10830963 was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in our Han Chinese cohort (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03–1.31, p = 0.015). As previously described, the risk variant was also associated with increased fasting plasma glucose, showing an increase of 0.068 mmol/l (95% CI 0.036–0.100, p = 4 × 10−5) per risk allele.
Conclusions/interpretation
A common variant in the MTNR1B gene is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and increased fasting plasma glucose in Han Chinese, suggesting an important role for this polymorphism in populations of different ethnic and environmental backgrounds.