ABCA1 genetic polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease caused by insufficient or inefficient insulin secretary response, marked by a high level of blood glucose. The global prevalence of T2DM is growing fast. There is a challenge in translating the insights of genetic risk variants for development of T2DM into the effective strategies for prevention of this common disease and its complications. The adenosine binding cassette transporter 1 (ABCA1) encoding ABCA1 protein plays an essential role in regulation of lipid metabolism, including cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. ABCA1 reverses the cholesterol transport from peripheral tissues to the liver through HDL-cholesterol. Defect in this gene disrupts lipid transport of HDL-cholesterol associated with the development of T2DM. It is currently an area of interest in the ABCA1 gene and its single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as a strategy in early diagnosis and prognosis of T2DM. Several SNPs of this gene have received considerable attention in association with susceptibility to T2DM and its complications or drug responsiveness in patients. In this review, we summarized the current evidence to perceive and highlight the potential of the ABCA1 polymorphisms in T2DM susceptibility and its subsequent complications as well as efficacy of clinical treatment of this disease. Besides, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the eligible research data related to the ABCA1 rs9282541 and rs1800977 to drive a more precise assessment of their associations with T2DM risk.