Evaluation of glutathione S-transferase polymorphism in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetic microangiopathy

Abstract

Abstract Background Overproduction of reactive oxygen species as a result of hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus leads to microvascular complications. Glutathione S-transferases play important detoxifying roles with antioxidant potentials. This study aimed to assess whether the glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 genotypes were associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus microangiopathic complications in the Iranian population. Results In this case-control study, the frequencies of null GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes were 4/72 (5.56%) and 12/72 (16.67%) respectively, in uncomplicated DM group. The frequencies of null GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotype in complicated DM group were 16/134 (11.94%) and 37/134 (27.61%), respectively. The proportion of GSTM1 null genotypes was higher in diabetic nephropathy compared to non-nephropathy (19.3% vs. 6.04 %, P = 0.006). At GSTT1 locus, patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy had a higher frequency of deletion compared to those of without neuropathy (30.39% vs. 23.49%) (P = 0.02). Conclusion Selective polymorphisms encoding GSTM1 and GSTT1genes may prove useful as genetic markers to recognize individuals with an increased trend in developing diabetic nephropathy and neuropathy, respectively. This will help better identify individuals at higher risk toward microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes due to genetic susceptibility.