The effect of Toll-like receptor 4 gene polymorphism on vascular complications in type 2 diabetes patients

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to assess the association between the TLR4 Asp299Gly polymorphism and vascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. MethodsWe examined 1090 patients with T2DM and 716 healthy controls. All subjects were genotyped for the Asp299Gly polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction analysis. ResultsThe genotype frequencies of the Asp299Gly polymorphism were similar in T2DM patients and controls (p=0.512 and 0.311, respectively). The polymorphism was analyzed in subgroups of patients with macro- and microvascular complications. The distribution of genotypes was significantly different between patients with CVD and those without CVD. A significant increase of G allele frequency was observed in CVD+ patients, with odds ratio 2.06 (1.27–3.34), p=0.0035. The same effect was found when patients with diabetic retinopathy were compared with those without it (OR for G allele 2.12, 95% CI 1.43–3.12, p=0.0002). There were no statistically significant differences in genotype distribution between patients with diabetic nephropathy or neuropathy and those without these complications. ConclusionsThe results of our study demonstrated that the G allele of the Asp299Gly polymorphism of the TLR4 gene is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients.