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Genes play role in glycemic control in type 1 diabetes
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American Diabetes Association's 69th Scientific Sessions
Researchers have identified a major locus for HbA1c and glucose near the SORCS1 gene, consistent with data from previous animal studies, according to data presented by Andrew D. Paterson, MBChB, at the American Diabetes Association’s 69th Scientific Sessions.
“We identified four genes related to glycemic control in diabetes,” Paterson, senior researcher in the Program for Genetics and Genome Biology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, said in a press release. “Two of these genes also affect risk for complications — kidney, eye and cardiovascular disease — and one gene has a strong effect on the rate of hypoglycemia.”
The researchers performed a high-resolution, genome-wide association study examining the longitudinal repeated measures of HbA1c for patients with type 1 diabetes who had been randomly assigned to conventional treatment (n=667) or intensive treatment (n=637) in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT).
Four major gene loci related to HbA1c levels were identified. The SORCS1 gene 10q25.1 attained genome-wide significance among both treatment groups; three loci achieved close to genome-wide significance: 14q32.13 (near GSC) and 9p22 (intron 1 of BNC2) in the combined treatment groups and 15q21.3 (near WDR72) in the intensive treatment group.
In addition, data suggested that SORCS1 is associated with hypoglycemia and that BNC2 is associated with kidney and eye complications.
“While this information gives us insight into the mechanisms influencing glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes, it is important to remember that the overall influence of genes is small and may vary from person to person and perhaps in response to behavior,” Paterson said. “For example, while the SORCS1 gene accounted for about 5% of the variability in glycemic control in the conventional treatment arm of the DCCT, HbA1c levels in people with type 1 diabetes have improved since those days as diabetes care teams and patients have learned about the value of more intensive control.”
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