Abstract
Objective: Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) plays a crucial role in energy homeostasis via regulation of insulin secretion, free fatty acid concentrations, and lipid metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the association of 45-bp ins/del polymorphism of UCP2 with susceptibility to NAFLD (Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) and T2DM (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus). DNA was extracted from the white blood cells of the subjects, and the gene polymorphism was determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). In this study, 72 patients with NAFLD, 71 healthy individuals as control, 80 patients with T2DM, and 77 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Results: A higher prevalence of insertion/insertion genotype was observed in T2DM patients compared to the controls (p- value˂ 0.05). But, there was no difference in genotype distribution between NAFLD patients and controls (p-value> 0.05). NAFLD patients with D/D, D/I genotype had higher triglyceride, ALT, and AST levels; however, their HDL levels were lower than healthy controls. Patients with T2DM with D/D or D/I genotype also had significantly higher fasting serum glucose (FSG). While we found an association between the 45bp I/D polymorphism in 3ʹUTR of UCP2 and T2DM, no any correlation between this polymorphism and NAFLD was identified.
Association of 45-bp ins/del polymorphism of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) and susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver and type 2 diabetes mellitus in North-west of Iran
