IGF2BP2 and obesity interaction analysis for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese Han population

Background: The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the contribution of the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its interaction with obesity to T2DM susceptibility. Methods: To clarify whether IGF2BP2 is an independent risk factor for T2DM in Chinese population, we conducted a study with a total of 2,301 Chinese Han subjects, including 1,166 T2DM patients and 1,135 controls, for the genotype of a most common and widely studied polymorphism-rs4402960 of IGF2BP2. Genotyping was performed by iPLEX technology. Gene and environment interaction analysis was performed by using multiple logistic regression models. Results: The repeatedly confirmed association between IGF2BP2 (rs4402960) and T2DM had not been replicated in this cohort (P = 0.182). Interestingly, we found that obese subjects (body mass index (BMI) >= 28.0 kg/m(2)) bearing the minor A allele had an increased risk to develop T2DM (P = 0.008 for allele analysis and P < 0.001 for genotype analysis). Conclusions: The present study provided data suggesting that the wild C allele of IGF2BP2 (rs4402960) had a protective effect against T2DM in obese subjects of Chinese Han population.