Assessment of potential genetic markers for diabetic foot ulcer among Moscow residents.

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most severe complications of type 2 diabetes, which is manifested in chronic skin ulcers of lower extremities. DFU treatment remains complex and expensive despite the availability of well-established protocols. Early prediction of potential DFU development at the onset of type 2 diabetes can greatly improve the aftermath of this complication. To assess potential genetic markers for DFU, a group of diabetic patients from Moscow region with and without DFU was genotyped for a number of SNPs previously reported to be associated with the DFU. Obtained results did not confirm previously claimed association of rs1024611, rs3918242, rs2073618, rs1800629, rs4986790, rs179998, rs1963645 and rs11549465 (respectively, in MCP1, MMP9, TNFRSF11B, TNFα, TLR4, eNOS, NOS1AP and HIF1α genes) with the DFU. Surprisingly, the t allele of rs7903146 in the TCF7l2 gene known as one of the most prominent risk factors for type 2 diabetes has shown a protective effect on DFU with OR(95%) = 0.68(0.48-0.96). Non-replication of previously published SNP associations with DFU suggests that the role of genetic factors in the DFU onset is either highly variable in different populations or is not as significant as the role of non-genetic factors.