Association of donor and recipient SUMO4 rs237025 genetic variant with new-onset diabetes mellitus after liver transplantation in a Chinese population

Abstract Backgrounds & aims New-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) is a common complication after liver transplantation (LT). The small ubiquitin-like modifier 4 (SUMO4) rs237025 polymorphism has been reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association of donor and recipient SUMO4 rs237025 polymorphisms with NODM and the long-term consequences of NODM after LT. Methods A total of 126 liver transplant patients were enrolled in the study. One single nucleotide polymorphism, SUMO4 rs237025, was genotyped in both donors and recipients. Results Both donor and recipient SUMO4 rs237025 polymorphisms were found to be significantly associated with NODM after LT. In multivariate analysis, recipient age > 50 years, tacrolimus trough concentrations > 10 ng/mL at 1 month after LT, donor and recipient rs237025 genetic variant, and the combined donor and recipient rs237025 genetic variant were independent predictive factors of NODM. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis indicated the higher predictive ability of the model containing combined donor and recipient rs237025 polymorphisms than the clinical model (p = 0.046). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that NODM was related to significantly poorer patient survival in comparison with non-NODM patients (p = 0.041). Conclusions Both donor and recipient SUMO4 rs237025 polymorphisms contribute to the development of NODM after LT and NODM is a frequent complication that negatively affects patient survival.