Transcription factor 7-Like 2 rs12255372, rs7903146 and rs290487 polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese population

We conducted a hospital-based case-control study to evaluate the relationship between TCF7L2 rs12255372, rs7903146 and rs290487 genetic polymorphisms and the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese Han population. Genotyping of TCF7L2 rs12255372, rs7903146 and rs290487 was carried out using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS 20.0 package (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). By the chi-square test, a statistically significant difference was observed in the genotype frequencies of TCF7L2 rs12255372 between type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and control subjects (chi(2)= 8.63, P=0.01), whereas no significant differences were found in the genotype frequencies of TCF7L2 rs7903146 (chi(2)= 8.63, P=0.01) and rs290487 (chi(2)= 8.63, P=0.01) between the two investigated groups. Using unconditional logistic regression analysis, we observed that the TT genotype of TCF7L2 rs12255372 was statistically significant associated with a elevated risk of development of type 2 diabetes mellitus compared to the wide-type genotype (adjusted OR=2.58, 95% CI=1.36-5.04). In the dominant model, the GT+TT genotype of TCF7L2 rs12255372 significantly contributed to the susceptibility of type 2 diabetes mellitus, compared to the GG genotype (adjusted OR=1.74, 95% CI=1.16-2.58). In the recessive model, the TT genotype of TCF7L2 rs12255372 was significant correlated with the risk of development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in comparison to the GG+GT genotype (adjusted OR=2.26, 95% CI=1.31-4.85). The findings of this study demonstrated that the TT genotype and T allele of TCF7L2 rs12255372 polymorphism was associated with increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese population.