N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) and Cytochrome 2C9 (CYP2C9) Genes Polymorphisms in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Although several environmental factors influence the onset of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), genetic factors contribute to an individual vulnerability to this disease. This study was aimed at studying CYP2C9*3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and NAT2 gene polymorphisms, and their correlation, if any, in the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This was a case-control study involving 70 participants living in Yaoundé, Cameroon. DNA was extracted by Chelex 100 method. Polymorphisms of NAT2 gene and CYP2C9*3 SNP were assessed using Polymerase Chain Reaction – Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). NAT2 gene characterization revealed the predominance of NAT2*5 alleles (35%) and slow metabolizing phenotype (72.9%). CYP2C9 gene characterization revealed the predominance of the wild-type allele (54%) and intermediate metabolizing phenotype (91%). Individuals with the “NAT2 slow metabolizer” phenotype were more likely to have T2DM while those with “intermediate metabolizer” phenotype were less likely to develop this disease (OR = 3.9740, P = 0.0009 and OR = 0.1406, P = 0.0044, respectively). CYP2C9*3 had no discernable predisposition to T2DM (OR= 0.1765, P= 0.1981). This study demonstrates that the NAT2 slow metabolizer phenotype could be associated with the development of T2DM in Yaoundé, Cameroon.