CAN the variants in the THADA and ADAMST9 genes be common risk factors for type 2 diabetes development and obesity

Background: Obesity is an important risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) as approximately 90% of T2D patients are obese. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs4607103 (C˃T) in the ADAMTS9 gene and rs7578597 (T˃C) in the THADA gene were identified as two novel T2D risk loci. However, studies investigating the associations of these variants with T2D and obesity are limited, and little is known about the mechanisms underlying their association with T2D. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between THADA and ADAMTS9 gene variants and T2D, taking into account the presence or absence of obesity. Methods and results: In our study, rs4607103 variant (C˃T) in ADAMTS9 gene and the rs7578597 (T˃C-Thr1187Ala) variant in THADA gene were genotyped in 848 Turkish individuals, including obese and non-obese patients with diabetes and healthy controls, by using the TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay. Conclusion: This is the first study report from a Turkish population investigating these associations. Our results suggest a significant association between the rs4607103 variant and the development of T2D. Thus, ADAMTS9 gene is a strong candidate worthy of further investigation with respect to the association between T2D and obesity.