Three single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese population

An Indian study recently observed three new loci: rs9552911 in the SGCG, rs1593304 near PLXNA4 and rs4858889 in SCAP associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a south Asian population. The present study aimed to validate these findings in a Chinese population. We genotyped the above three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs9552911, rs1593304, and rs4858889, in a group of 1,972 Chinese individuals, comprising of 966 type 2 diabetic patients and 976 controls. Anthropometric variables and biochemical traits were measured in all the participants. The association analyses of genotype-disease and genotype-traits were estimated. The genotype frequency of rs9552911 differed statistically between the cases and controls (P=0.017). The difference was also evident between the cases and controls in non-obese participants (P=0.033). In addition, the SNP rs9552911 was associated with weight (P=0.033), total cholesterol (P=0.006) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (P=0.007). The SNP rs1593304 was associated with β-cell function estimated by the homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (P=0.041). However, there was no significant association between rs4858889 and T2DM. In conclusion, the results show that the SNP rs9552911 was associated with T2DM, possibly by affecting body mass index and lipid metabolism. The SNP rs1593304 may impair β-cell function.