Genetic variants tied to type 1 diabetes heterogeneity

(HealthDay)—Transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2) genetic variants contribute to phenotypic heterogeneity of type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in Diabetes Care.

Maria J. Redondo, M.D., Ph.D., from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, and colleagues investigated the relationship between type 2 diabetes-associated TCF7L2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and immunologic and metabolic characteristics at type 1 diabetes diagnosis among 810 patients with newly diagnosed autoimmune type 1 diabetes (median age, 13.6 years).

The researchers found that the rs4506565 variant was a significant independent factor for expressing a single autoantibody at diagnosis, instead of multiple autoantibodies (odds ratio [OR], 1.66; P = 0.024). This association was only significant in participants ≥12 years old (OR, 2.12; P = 0.003) compared to younger ones (P = 0.73). There was a significant association between the rs4506565 variant and both higher C-peptide area under the curve (P = 0.008) and lower mean glucose area under the curve (P = 0.0127). Similar results were seen for the rs7901695 variant.

"Carriers of the TCF7L2 variant had a milder immunological and metabolic phenotype at type 1 diabetes diagnosis, which could be partly driven by type 2 diabetes-like pathogenic mechanisms," the authors write.