NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One polymorphism in the lamin A/C (LMNA) gene appears to increase the susceptibility for development of metabolic syndrome and dyslipidemia, according to a report in the September issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
“While we have yet a long way to go in understanding the genetic underpinnings of metabolic disorders, having the knowledge that nuclear proteins may have a role in lipid metabolism provides another [avenue] for further exploration.” Dr. Nanette I. Steinle from University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, told Reuters Health.
Dr. Steinle and colleagues sequenced LMNA in 18 Amish subjects previously diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and then performed association and haplotype analyses for the entire Amish Family Diabetes Study cohort to determine whether LMNA polymorphisms were associated with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and related traits in this population.
Among six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified, none showed any association with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose homeostasis, the authors report.
Individuals with the T allele of the “silent” exon 10 H566H (c.138747C>T) SNP, however, had higher triglyceride concentrations, lower HDL cholesterol concentrations, and a 1.43-fold increased chance of having metabolic syndrome.
In addition, the researchers note, individuals bearing the C allele of the exon 5 A287A (c.141253T>C) SNP had significantly higher fasting glucose than did those with the TT genotype.
The frequencies of the haplotypes defined by allelic combinations at these six SNPs did not differ among subjects with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, the investigators report, and there were no differences in glucose, insulin, obesity, or lipid traits between the haplotypes.
“We conclude that genetic variation in LMNA may play a modest role in susceptibility to metabolic syndrome and dyslipidemia in our population but is unlikely to be the gene on chromosome 1q21-q24 detected through linkage analysis contributing to risk of type 2 diabetes,” the authors conclude.
“Screening based on a single SNP is probably premature at this point in time,” Dr. Steinle said. “However in the future I can foresee that we may have panels of SNPs that we use for screening to determine increased risk for a number of disorders including metabolic syndrome. At risk individuals, once identified, could then make early interventions, such as lifestyle modifications, and perhaps take medications to reduce the risk of developing the disorder.”
Source: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2004;24:1708-1713. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Carbohydrate Metabolism, Inborn Errors: Glucose IntoleranceCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
