Science Express paper found that variation in G6PC2 was associated with elevated blood sugar.
Researchers have pinpointed a genetic variant tied to individual differences in blood-sugar levels. Previous epidemiological studies have shown that healthy individuals with modest elevations in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
The investigators analyzed SNPs from 654 normoglycemic subjects and replicated the most strongly associated SNP, rs560887, in 9,353 subjects. This SNP lies within the G6PC2 gene, which encodes glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit-related protein (IGRP), which is selectively expressed in pancreatic islets. The researchers propose that this protein helps modulate the set-point for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.
Scientists involved in the study came from the Pasteur Institute, McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre, Katholieke Universiteit, Imperial College London, IRSA-La Riche, Bichat Hospital, Paris-Sud University, Jeanne de Flandre Hospital, University of Oulu. The study was published May 1 in Science Express.
