Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2006; 114 - P03_037
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-932923

Resistin gene 3'-untranslated region +62G/A polymorphism is associated with hypertension but not diabetes mellitus type 2 in a German population

I Berthold 1, E Giannakidou 1, M Faust 1, J Kratzsch 2, HK Berthold 3, W Krone 1
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • 2Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
  • 3Drug Commission of the German Medical Association, Berlin, Germany

Objectives: Resistin, a peptide hormone produced by adipocytes, has been associated with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM-2) is some rodent models. In humans the exact function of resistin remains unknown. Purpose of the present study was to examine for the first time in a German Caucasian population a possible association between the +62G/A resistin gene polymorphism and DM-2, hypertension, lipoprotein levels, resistin levels and atherosclerosis.

Methods: The presence of the polymorphism was investigated using PCR in 384 subjects with DM-2 (224 men, 160 women, age 63.4±10.6yrs, BMI 28.7±5.1kg/m2) and in 434 age- and sex-matched controls (248 men, 186 women, age 64.4±6.5yrs, BMI 26.5±3.7kg/m2).

Results: Thirty four subjects were carriers of the +62G/A polymorphism in the control and 24 in the diabetic group (allelic frequencies 4% and 3.2%, respectively). Subjects with DM-2 were not found to have a different frequency of the genotypes (93.75% and 6.25%, for GG:GA/AA respectively) compared to the controls (92.2% and 7.8% for GG:GA/AA, respectively), OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.44 to 1.3 (P=0.31). In the total cohort, carriers of the A allele had a higher prevalence of hypertension (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.03 to 3.21, P=0.039). When analyzed separately, the control group showed a strong association between the presence of the A allele and hypertension (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.38 to 6.15, P=0.005), while no such association could be established in the diabetic group (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.43 to 2.54, P=0.92). Multiple regression analysis confirmed this association in control but not in diabetic subjects, independent of age and BMI. The polymorphism had no significant influence on the presence of atherosclerotic disease, BMI, and on triglyceride, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, both in controls and diabetics. There was no difference in the serum resistin levels between the 62G/A variant carriers and non-carriers.

Conclusions: The present data suggest that in a German Caucasian population the +62G/A polymorphism of the resistin gene is associated with hypertension but not with DM-2