Abstract
Various mutations in microRNAs (miRs) are associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases including cancers and vascular diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between miR-27a A>G (rs895819) and miR-449b A>G (rs10061133) polymorphisms with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its associated risk factors in the Korean population. Genotype analysis was performed using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to assess the frequency of miR-27a and miR-449b gene polymorphisms in patients diagnosed with T2DM (n=238) and healthy controls (n=247). The miR-27a GG genotype, recessive model, and G allele were significantly associated with a decreased risk of T2DM [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.378, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.208-0.686, P=0.001; AOR=0.425, 95% CI: 0.246-0.734, P=0.002; AOR=0.640, 95% CI: 0.493-0.831, P=0.001, respectively). Although the miR-449b polymorphism was not associated with the prevalence of T2DM, the genotype and allele combination analyses for miR-27a and miR-449b polymorphisms showed associations with T2DM prevalence. Furthermore, stratification analysis revealed that the miR-27a polymorphism was associated with DM risk factors including body mass index (<28.12 kg/m(2), P=0.031), waist circumference (<93.03 cm, P=0.036), systolic blood pressure (<132.67 mmHg, P=0.017), fasting blood glucose levels (<106.26 mg/dl, P=0.015), glycosylated hemoglobin, type A1C (≤125.5 mg/dl, P=0.001), total cholesterol (≤240 mg/dl, P=0.010) and low-density lipoprotein levels (≤130 mg/dl, P=0.028). The present study revealed an association between miR-27a A>G and miR-449b A>G polymorphisms and the risk of DM in Koreans, which suggests that these gene polymorphisms could represent potential markers for predicting T2DM risk.