TCF7L2 Polymorphisms and Progression to Diabetes in the Diabetes Prevention Program

This study examined two polymorphisms of the transcription factor 7–like 2 gene ( TCF7L2 ) to predict the progression to diabetes among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance who were enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program, in which lifestyle intervention and treatment with metformin were each compared with placebo. Results indicate that common variants in TCF7L2 seem to be associated with an increased risk of the development of diabetes among persons with impaired glucose tolerance. Common variants in the transcription factor 7–like 2 gene ( TCF7L2 ) seem to be associated with an increased risk of diabetes among persons with impaired glucose tolerance. The risk of type 2 diabetes is strongly influenced by inheritance. 1 Genetic susceptibility to the common form of type 2 diabetes appears polygenic — that is, it involves a number of variants, each with a modest effect on the risk of disease in an individual person. 2 Despite important advances in understanding the genetic determinants of the relatively rare monogenic forms of diabetes, 3 the pace of definitive identification of genes that increase the risk of common type 2 diabetes has been slow. Recently, Grant and colleagues 4 reported on the association of a common microsatellite (DG10S478) within intron 3 of the transcription . . .