Transcription factor 7-like 2 rs7903146 polymorphism and therapeutic response to sulfonylureas in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Background Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) variations were related to a modified hypoglycemic reaction to sulfonylureas (SUs) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Aims The aim of the present work was to show the relationship between TCF7L2 rs7903146 polymorphism and the hypoglycemic reaction to SUs in T2D patients. Patients and methods We enlisted 54 already diagnosed T2D patients who were treated with SUs. Utilizing secondary SU treatment failure, defined as glycated hemoglobin more than 7%, they were divided into two groups: responders and nonresponders. We genotyped the TCF7L2 rs7903146 single-nucleotide polymorphism by utilizing TaqMan allelic discrimination assay-based real-time PCR. Result A relationship between the TCF7L2 rs7903146 genotypes TT, CC, CT and therapeutic response to SUs in T2D patients was assessed. In the nonresponders group, the most frequent genotype was the TT (P=0.038) and the most frequent allele was T (P=0.034). Binary logistic regression analysis showed predictors to failure of SUs treatment, providing that TCF7L2 rs7903146 was the significant factor. The TT genotype showed a statistically significant association with nonresponse to SUs, about 4.6 times more than the rest of the genotypes (CC or CT) [P=0.029; odds ratio (OR), 4.643; 95% confidence interval, 1.175–18.355]. The distribution of TCF7L2 rs7903146 alleles was found to be statistically significant, with the OR indicating that the nonresponder status was 2.291 times greater for T allele as opposed to C allele (P=0.034; OR, 2.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.059–4.959). The other factors as sex, age, and duration of the disease were not statistically significant (P=0.334, 0.267, and 0.242, respectively). Conclusion TCF7L2 rs7903146 variant was associated with therapeutic response to SUs and it was observed that the most frequent allele in the nonresponders group was the T allele, whereas the most frequent allele in the responders group was the C allele.