Objective

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes with a complex multifactorial pathogenesis. We aimed to investigate whether chromosome 15q21-22-related gene polymorphisms could be used as markers of DR susceptibility in type 2 diabetic (T2D) individuals.

Methods

Individuals were divided into three groups: (1) T2D with nonproliferative DR (NPDR; n=102); (2) T2D with proliferative DR (PDR; n=72); (3) T2D without DR (n=573). Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs7174997, rs3751624, rs8025011, rs17818837, rs2922220, and rs2414520) lying within chromosome 15q21-22 region were genotyped by using Illumina HumanHap550-Duo BeadChips. Genotypes/allelic frequencies and haplotypes for these polymorphisms in each group were compared.

Results

The MYO5C related SNP (rs3751624)*A related genotype and allele are associated with higher susceptibilities to DR, including PDR and NPDR. The rs3751624*GG/AA+AG percentages in each group are (1) 75.5%/24.5%, (2) 73.6%/26.4%, and (3) 82.5%/17.5%. In contrast, the other five SNPs in each group were not significantly different. One haplotype (G-A-G-G-T-G) appears significantly different between T2D individuals with and without DR. Other haplotype distributions were not significantly different between each group.

Conclusion

The MYO5C related SNP (rs3751624)*A related genotype/allele and haplotype (G-A-G-G-T-G) might be associated with susceptibility for retinopathy in T2D individuals. Some chromosome 15q21-22* related genetic variations might contribute to the pathogenesis of DR.