Genetic association of ADIPOQ gene variants with type 2 diabetes, obesity and serum adiponectin levels in south Indian population

• Adiponectin gene variants and haplotype contribute to the genetic risk for T2DM.
• Haplotypes GCCATGAAT and AGCGTGGGT conferred lower risk of T2DM among south Indians.
• Four SNPs were significantly associated with hypoadiponectinemia.
• Adiponectin gene variants contribute to risk for obesity in the south Indian population.

ObjectiveTo investigate the genetic association of eight variants of the adiponectin gene with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity and serum adiponectin level in the south Indian population.MethodsThe study comprised of 1100 normal glucose tolerant (NGT) and 1100 type 2 diabetic, unrelated subjects randomly selected from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES), in southern India. Fasting serum adiponectin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The variants were screened by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Linkage disequilibrium was estimated from the estimates of haplotype frequencies.ResultsOf the 8 variants, four SNPs namely, + 276 G/T (rs1501299), − 4522 C/T (rs822393), − 11365 C/G (rs266729), and + 712 G/A (rs3774261) were significantly associated with T2DM in our study population. The −3971 A/G (rs822396) and − 11391 G/A (rs17300539) SNPs' association with T2DM diabetes was mediated through obesity (where the association with type 2 diabetes was lost after adjusting for BMI). There was an independent association of + 276 G/T (rs1501299) and − 3971 A/G (rs822396) SNPs with generalized obesity and + 349 A/G (rs2241767) with central obesity. Four SNPs, −3971 A/G (rs822396), + 276 G/T (rs1501299), − 4522 C/T (rs822393) and Y111H T/C (rs17366743) were significantly associated with hypoadiponectinemia. The haplotypes GCCATGAAT and AGCGTGGGT conferred lower risk of T2DM in this south Indian population.ConclusionThe adiponectin gene variants and haplotype contribute to the genetic risk towards the development of type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypoadiponectinemia in the south Indian population.