Polymorphisms in KCNQ1 are associated with gestational diabetes in a Korean population.
BACKGROUND
Recent genome-wide association studies in East Asians have identified polymorphisms in KCNQ1 as new type 2 diabetes risk variants. The aim of this study was to investigate whether variants in KCNQ1 are associated with development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and measures of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at the time of diagnosis of GDM.


METHODS
Three candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2074196, rs2237892, and rs2237895) were genotyped in 869 Korean GDM women and 632 nondiabetic control subjects. Insulin resistance was estimated by homeostasis model assessment and pancreatic β-cell function by the insulinogenic index at 1 h.


RESULTS
rs2074196 and rs2237892 were associated with the risk of GDM (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.01-1.36, p = 0.039; OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07-1.45, p = 0.0049). Furthermore, rs2237892 and rs2237895 were nominally associated with a decreased insulinogenic index at the time of GDM diagnosis (p = 0.025 and p = 0.037), whereas no association was observed with measures of insulin resistance.


CONCLUSIONS
The single nucleotide polymorphisms in KCNQ1 showed a significant association with GDM in the Korean population. Although the mechanism is not yet clear, it could be possible that variants in KCNQ1 confer a risk for GDM by altering pancreatic β-cell function.
Kwak
Soo Heon
SH
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Tae Hyuk
TH
Cho
Young Min
YM
Choi
Sung Hee
SH
Jang
Hak C
HC
Park
Kyong Soo
KS
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051657:KCNQ1 Potassium Channel / Q000235:genetics*; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D051657:KCNQ1 Potassium Channel; C496909:KCNQ1 protein, human