A genetic variant in SLC6A20 is associated with Type 2 diabetes in white-European and Chinese populations.

AIMS: To investigate whether polymorphisms in SLC6A20 are associated with susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes.

METHODS: In the Rotterdam Study, a prospective, population-based cohort (n = 5974), 22 tagging polymorphisms with minor allele frequencies>0.05 across SLC6A20 were studied. Replication studies were performed in an independent Dutch case-control study (DiaGene-Rotterdam Study 2 n = 3133), and in a Chinese Han case-control population (n = 2279). A meta-analysis of the results was performed.

RESULTS: In the Rotterdam study, the minor alleles of rs13062383, rs10461016 and rs2286489 increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.15-1.63, hazard ratio 1.30 95% CI 1.09-1.54 and hazard ratio 1.20, 95% CI 1.07-1.35, respectively). In the DiaGene/Rotterdam Study 2, the A allele of rs13062383 increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes (odds ratio 1.45, 95% CI 1.19-1.76). In the Chinese Han study, the rs13062383 A allele also increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes (odds ratio 1.21, 95% CI 1.03-1.42). Meta-analysis showed a highly significant association of rs13062383 with Type 2 diabetes (odds ratio 1.35, 95% CI 1.21-1.47; P = 3.3 × 10⁻⁸).

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, rs13062383 in SLC6A20 increased the susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes in populations with different genetic backgrounds.