Association of V249I and T280M variants of fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 with carotid intima-media thickness in a mexican population with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of the V249I and T280M variants of CX3CR1 fractalkine gene with carotid intima-media thickness in Mexican subjects with and without type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We analyzed the V249I and T280M variants of the CX3CR1 receptor by TaqMan assays in 111 subjects with type 2 diabetes and 109 healthy controls. Hemoglobin A1c, glucose, and lipid profile were determined. RESULTS: A significant increase in carotid intima-media thickness was observed in type 2 diabetes patients (0.979 ± 0.361 mm) compared to healthy controls (0.588 ± 0.175 mm). In subjects carrying the MM variant of the T280M polymorphism, hemoglobin A1c was higher (p = 0.008). Classic risk factors for atherosclerosis showed no differences between carriers of the T280M and V249I variants. Controls with the II249 genotype associated with carotid intima-media thickness (0.747 ± 0.192 mm; p = 0.041), and this difference remained significant even after adjusting factors such as age, gender, and body mass index (OR: 7.7; 95% CI: 1.269-47.31; p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: V249I genotype of the fractalkine receptor showed a protector role in patients with type 2 diabetes. The T280M genotype is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness in Mexican individuals with or without type 2 diabetes.

rs12255372 variant of TCF7L2 gene is protective for obesity in Mexican children.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Variants in the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene are consistently associated with type 2 diabetes in adults, but the association of TCF7L2 with weight-related traits and body fat in humans is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the TCF7L2 gene (rs12255372) and obese phenotype in Mexican school-age children. METHODS: The study was performed in schools in Mexico City; 186 obese and 194 control children were studied. Fasting insulin and glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides concentration were determined. The variant rs12255372 of the TCF7L2 gene was genotyped. We used age- and sex-adjusted linear models to test for association with metabolic measurements with this variant. RESULTS: Genotype of the TCF7L2 rs12255372 gene was associated with lower fasting plasma glucose (p = 0.001) and lower homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-R; p = 0.001) in nonobese children. Heterozygous carriers for this variant were more prevalent in lean children (32.5%) than in the obese group (23.7%), which resulted in a strong protective effect for the normal weight condition (OR = 0.56, 0.32-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: TCF7L2 rs12255372 polymorphism protects Mexican children from obesity. Further research in other large, population-based studies is needed to replicate these findings.