title: A polymorphism in the retinol binding protein 4 gene is not associated with gestational diabetes mellitus in several different ethnic groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various Asian and Pacifific Islander groups have higher prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. This increased incidence is likely to include genetic factors. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the retinol binding protein 4 gene have been linked to the occurrence of type 2 diabetes. Hypothesizing a link between retinol binding protein 4 and gestational diabetes, we performed a candidate gene study to look for an association between an important retinol binding protein gene polymorphism (rs3758539) and gestational diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood was collected from Caucasian, Asian, and Pacific Islander women diagnosed with gestational diabetes and from ethnically matched non-diabetic controls. DNA was extracted and real time PCR technology (TaqMan, Applied Biosystems) used to screen for the rs3758539 single nucleotide polymorphism located 5' of exon 1 of the retinol binding protein 4 gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype and allele frequencies in the controls and gestational diabetes cases were tested using chi-square contingency tests. Genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. There was no association between the rs3758539 retinol binding protein 4 single nucleotide polymorphism and gestational diabetes in the Caucasian, Filipino, or Pacific Islander groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interestingly, the rs3758539 retinol binding protein 4 single nucleotide polymorphism was not found to be associated with gestational diabetes. The absence of association suggests that gestational and type 2 diabetes may have more divergent molecular pathophysiology than previously suspected.
authors: University of Hawai'i, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, Honolulu, USA. hiraokam@hawaii.edu
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Hiraoka
authors: Johann
authors: J
authors: Urschitz
authors: Omar
authors: O
authors: Sultan
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Ward
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005838:Genotype; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012016:Reference Values; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000235:genetics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma