Variation in the α-adrenergic receptor gene and risk of gestational diabetes.

Aim: Sympathetic activation suppresses insulin secretion via pancreatic ADRA2A.  Because sympathetic activity and insulin demand increase during pregnancy, we tested the hypothesis  that ADRA2A variants are associated with gestational diabetes (GDM).

Patients & Methods: Among Caucasian pregnant women without pre-existing diabetes, we genotyped 458 who had GDM and 1537 without GDM for seven ADRA2A variants.

Results: rs1800038 (OR: 2.34; p = 0.020) and rs3750625 (OR: 1.56; p = 0.010) increased the risk of GDM, and rs11195418 decreased it (OR: 0.62; p = 0.025). The associations remained significant after adjustment for maternal age, maternal BMI, parity and a genetic risk score that included variants previously associated with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and GDM.

Conclusion: ADRA2A genetic variation contributes independently to the risk of GDM in Caucasian women.