Resistin gene polymorphisms and progression of glycaemia in southern Chinese: a 5-year prospective study

Summary Objective Human resistin gene (RETN) polymorphisms have been found to be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), insulin resistance and/or obesity. We evaluated, in a 5‐year prospective study, whether RETN polymorphisms could predict the progression of glycaemia in southern Chinese. Design and patients We conducted a systematic search for variants in RETN in 70 southern Chinese subjects. This was followed by the genotyping in 624 unrelated nondiabetic subjects of two polymorphisms, −420C→G and +62G→A, previously reported in cross‐sectional studies to be associated with T2DM in Asians, to examine their relationship with the progression of glycaemia in this cohort. Results We identified 15 polymorphisms, including 2 novel but rare polymorphisms (−319G→A and +63G→C). Compared to subjects with the CC genotype, −420GG subjects had higher 2‐h glucose (7·7 ± 1·8 vs. 7·2 ± 2·0 mmol/l, P = 0·011) and insulin (101·6 ± 69·5 vs. 79·8 ± 59·5 mU/l, P = 0·021) during an oral glucose tolerance test. Carriers of the +62A allele had higher body mass indices (25·3 ± 4·0 vs. 24·5 ± 3·6 kg/m2 in GG, P = 0·02). The presence of the allele −420G (OR 2·15, 95% CI 1·28–3·60, P = 0·004) or +62A (OR1·86, 95% CI 1·08–3·21, P = 0·025) predicted the progression of glycaemia at Year 5, after adjustment for sex, age or body mass index. The haplotype G‐A also conferred a higher risk of progression in glycaemia (P = 0·002). Conclusion Our study would support the role of the resistin gene in obesity, insulin resistance and progression of glycaemia in southern Chinese.