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 Pacifi c 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 ges-tational diabetes, we performed a candidate gene study to look for an association between an important retinol binding protein gene polymorphism (rs3758539) and gestational diabetes.Study Design: Blood was collected from Caucasian, Asian, and Pacifi c 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 ges-tational 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 Pacifi c Islander groups.Conclusion: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.