Genetic Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Linked to TCF7L2 Rs7903146 Variant in a Northern Nigerian Population

Polymorphisms in the gene encoding transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) have been identified as potent genetic risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its associated complications. This study aimed to investigate the association between the rs7903146 (C/T) polymorph...

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Main Authors: Jamila Sani, Yahuza Gimba Muhammed, Muhammad Auwal Abdullahi, Muhammad Mahe Mukhtar, Abdulbaseet Umar Onoruoiza, Nasiru Abdullahi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: QAASPA Publisher 2025-06-01
Series:BioMed Target Journal
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Online Access:https://qaaspa.com/index.php/bmtj/article/view/65
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Summary:Polymorphisms in the gene encoding transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) have been identified as potent genetic risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its associated complications. This study aimed to investigate the association between the rs7903146 (C/T) polymorphism in the TCF7L2 gene and the risk of developing T2DM in the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital population. A total of forty-three T2DM patients and forty-two healthy controls were recruited for comprehensive assessments of anthropometric, clinical, and genetic parameters. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was employed to detect the presence of the TCF7L2 rs7903146 C/T polymorphism using allele specific primers, and the resulting PCR products were visualized using 1.5% gel electrophoresis. Significant differences in anthropometric and clinical parameters were observed, including age, BMI, and fasting glucose level between the patient and control groups. Analysis of the distribution of the TCF7L2 rs7903146 genotypes and alleles revealed that the TT genotype was more prevalent in the T2DM group (12.19%) compared to healthy controls (2.5%) but showed no significant differences. Similarly, the allelic frequencies of the rs7903146 differ significantly between T2DM patients and healthy controls. The frequency of the T allele was more frequent in diabetic patients (36.59%) than in healthy controls (18.75%) and this allele was significantly associated with the risk of T2DM. These results were adjusted using the genetic model. However, the association was consistent with a dominant model of inheritance. No significant association was observed between TCF7L2 genotypes and covariates such as age, gender, BMI, and fasting plasma glucose levels. These findings suggest that the TCF7L2 rs7903146 (C/T) polymorphism is an important genetic risk factor for T2DM, pointing to its role in increasing susceptibility to the disease across different populations. However, due to the relatively small sample size and single-center nature of the study, these results may not apply to all groups. Larger, more diverse studies are needed to confirm and expand on these findings.
ISSN:2960-1428