[The rs10401670 variant of the resistin gene is related to circulating resistin levels, insulin resistance, and presence of type-2 diabetes mellitus in obese patients].

Background: the SNP 3´UTR C/T (rs10401670) of the RETN gene is a polymorphism that has been associated with the presence of type-2 diabetes mellitus in a single work in the literature. Objective: the objective of our study was to evaluate the influence of this resistin gene SNP (rs10401670) on the serum levels of resistin, as well as on the presence of type-2 diabetes mellitus in obese subjects and on insulin resistance. Material and methods: a Caucasian population of 653 obese subjects was analyzed. All subjects underwent an anthropometric evaluation (weight, waist circumference, fat mass), an evaluation of their nutritional intake, a biochemical profile (glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein, lipid profile, insulin, HOMA-IR), and an assessment of the rs10401670 genotype. Determinations were made in the presence of type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). A univariate analysis was carried out and a logistic regression was performed with a dichotomy parameter (DM2: yes/no) (SPSS, 17.0, IL, EUA). Results: genotype distribution was as follows: CC, 212 subjects (32.4%); CT, 340 subjects (52.0%); and TT, 101 subjects (15.6%). There were no significant differences between both genotypes in lipid profile, basal glucose, C-reactive protein, anthropometric parameters, nutritional intake, and blood pressure levels. Serum resistin levels (delta: 1.0 ± 0.2 ng/mL; p = 0.02), insulin levels (delta: 1.3 ± 0.1 ng/mL; p = 0.02), and HOMA-IR (delta: 1.2 ± 0.2 ng/mL; p = 0.01) were higher in T-allele carriers than non-T-allele carriers. The overall prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in the sample was 21.8%. With respect to the rs10401670 polymorphism, 17.9% of subjects with the CC genotype had DM2, and 23.8% of T-allele carriers had DM2. In the logistic regression analysis the T-allele of the SNP rs10401670, adjusted by age, sex, resistin levels, and body weight showed an association with DM2 - OR: 2.27 (95% CI: 1.26-4.09). Conclusions: the T-allele of the rs10401670 genetic variant is associated with higher levels of resistin, basal insulin, and insulin resistance, and a higher prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus, in obese subjects.