MTNR1B genetic polymorphisms as risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus: a case-control study in a single tertiary care center.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a metabolic disease in pregnancy that causes carbohydrate intolerance and hyper-glycemia. Genome-wide association studies and meta-analyses have found that the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs1387153 and rs10830963 of the melatonin receptor 1B ( MTNR1B) gene are associated with GDM. No studies on the MTNR1B gene effect on GDM have been performed in Saudis, other Arabs, or other Middle Eastern populations.