Effects of MTNR1B variants on fasting glucose levels in a Korean population

• Published in: Genes & genomics Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 103 - 106
• Main Authors: Sung, Ho Joong, Jung, Mee Kyung, Eom, Yong-Bin, Lee, Jong-Eun, Sull, Jae Woong, Jee, Sun Ha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg The Genetics Society of Korea 01-02-2012; 한국유전학회
• Subjects: Animal Genetics and Genomics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Human Genetics; Life Sciences; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Short Communication; 생물학; Diabetes; Polymorphisms; MTNR1B; Fasting glucose
• ISSN: 1976-9571; 2092-9293
• DOI: 10.1007/s13258-011-0097-y

Fasting glucose level is the most basic and widely used indicator of diabetes. Several genome wide association studies have reported that the gene encoding melatonin receptor 1B (
MTNR1B
) exerts a major effect on serum fasting glucose levels. We tested for the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the
MTNR1B
gene and fasting glucose levels in a Korean population consisting of 8,229 subjects taken from two community-based cohorts. The mean age of the subjects in the study population was 51.9 years. For this study, we selected 363 SNPs located in the
MTNR1B
gene, which is located on chromosome 11. Multivariate linear regression models were used to test for genotypic effects on fasting glucose levels while adjusting for age and sex under an additive model. The
MTNR1B
SNP most highly associated with fasting glucose levels was rs10830962 (p=1.95×10
−5
), followed by rs3847554 (p=3.16×10
−4
). Replication of these initial findings is important to better understand the correlation between
MTNR1B
variations and their effects, especially in Asian populations.