title: C(-106)T polymorphism of the aldose reductase gene and the progression rate of diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the C(-106)T polymorphism in the promoter of the aldose reductase (ALR2) gene: (a) its local prevalence and (b) its modulation of the susceptibility for developing retinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNAs of 96 control subjects and 53 long-standing (duration 17.9+/-5.4 years) type-2 diabetic patients were analyzed by PCR-RFLP with BfaI enzyme. Retinopathy was graded with 2-eye, 7-field fundus color photography. The IMF-HbA1c was the arithmetic mean of all HbA1c's of each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The genotypes in the controls were CC=57 (59.4%), CT=32 (33.3%) and TT=7 (7.3%), with Hardy-Weinberg chi(2)=0.793 (p>0.50). Among 53 diabetics, CC=24 (45.3%), CT=26 (49.0%) and TT=3 (5.7%). The correlation between IMF-HbA1c and retinopathy progression rate was significant on CC (r=0.6102, p=0.0072) but not in CT+TT genotypes (r=0.26, p=0.1811).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Chilean adults, the frequency of the C(-106)T polymorphism of the ALR2 gene was similar to that reported by others. Type-2 diabetics with the CC genotype were more susceptible for developing retinopathy as a result of chronic hyperglycemia than those with the CT or TT genotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Diabetes, College of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago 6513492, Santiago, Chile. polmos@med.puc.cl <polmos@med.puc.cl>
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olmos
authors.forename: María-Juliana
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bastías
authors.forename: Valeska
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vollrath
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trincado
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salinas
authors.forename: Juan-Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Claro
authors.forename: José-Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Ana-María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: Juan-Francisco
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Miquel
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D000449:Aldehyde Reductase / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005838:Genotype; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000449:Aldehyde Reductase; D004247:DNA; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin