Impact of the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) exon 16-3c/t polymorphism on acute hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetic patients

Epidemiological data collected over the last few decades have demonstrated the significant role of acute (especially postprandial) hyperglycaemia in the development of macrovascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the influence of SUR1 exon 16-3c/t polymorphism on impaired insulin secretion during acute hyperglycaemic episodes has not yet been evaluated. We studied 40 type 2 diabetic patients. Single nucleotide polymorphism in the sulfonylurea receptor gene was examined by means of PCR-RLFP. In every patient, fasting insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide and 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol concentrations were assayed as markers of insulin secretion, peripheral resistance to insulin, and acute hyperglycaemia. The distribution of SUR1 exon 16-3c/t polymorphism was tt 35%, tc -40%, and cc -25%. By means of analysis of covariance, it was revealed that 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol plasma levels are associated with SUR1 exon 16-3c/t polymorphism. However, the HOMA(IR) score influenced 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol levels in plasma at a higher level of statistical power than the genetic variant. Our results suggest that SUR1 exon 16-3c/t polymorphism is only a partial determinant of acute hyperglycaemia-cardiovascular risk factor in type 2 diabetes. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.