Abstract
Prediabetes is a reversible, intermediate stage of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Lifestyle changes that include healthy diet and exercise can substantially reduce progression to T2DM. The present study explored the association of 37 T2DM- and obesity-linked single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with prediabetes risk in a homogenous Saudi Arabian population. A total of 1129 Saudi adults [332 with prediabetes (29%) and 797 normoglycemic controls] were randomly selected and genotyped using the KASPar SNP genotyping method. Anthropometric and various serological parameters were measured following standard procedures. Heterozygous GA of
-rs4812829 (0.64; 95% CI 0.47-0.86;
< 0.01), heterozygous TC of
-rs1801214 (0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44-0.80;
< 0.01), heterozygous GA of
-rs5945326 (0.60; 95% CI 0.39-0.92;
= 0.01), heterozygous GA of
-rs11634397 (0.75; 95% CI 0.56-1.01;
= 0.05), and homozygous AA of
-rs11642841 (1.50; 95% CI 0.8-1.45;
= 0.03) were significantly associated with prediabetes, independent of age and body mass index (BMI). Additionally, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in rs11634397 (AA) with a median of 5389.0 (2767.4-7412.8) were significantly higher than in the heterozygous GA genotype with a median of 1736.3 (1024.4-4452.0) (
< 0.01). In conclusion, only five of the 37 genetic variants previously linked to T2DM and obesity in the Saudi Arabian population [
-rs4812829,
-rs1801214,
-rs5945326,
-rs11634397,
-rs11642841] were associated with prediabetes susceptibility. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the potential clinical value of the studied genetic variants of interest.