Role of the rs2274907 allelic variant of the ITLN1 gene in patients with diabetic foot

INTRODUCTION Diabetic foot (DF) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that occurs due to neuropathy or atherosclerosis of the lower limbs. Omentin (encoded by the ITLN1 gene) has been implicated as a protective factor in vascular complications of diabetes, likely due to its endothelial vasodilator activity and its anti-inflammatory actions. However, susceptibility to DF with respect to the allelic variants of the ITLN1 gene has not been studied so far. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the association between the rs2274907 allelic variant of the ITLN1 gene and the occurrence of DF in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 670 individuals: 204 with T2DM and DF (DF group), 299 with T2DM without DF (T2DM group), and 167 healthy controls. RESULTS Ischemic heart disease, retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and active smoking were more frequent in the DF group than in the T2DM group. Allele A of the rs2274907 variant was observed more frequently in the DF group compared with healthy controls in an additive model (odds ratio [OR] = 0.7, P = 0.034). This effect was also sex-specific for males in both the additive and recessive models (OR = 0.6, P = 0.015 and OR = 0.52, P = 0.0017, respectively). However, no differences in the distribution of alleles was observed between the DF and T2DM groups. CONCLUSIONS The rs2274907 variant of the ITLN1 gene is associated with increased prevalence of DF.