OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of Pro12Ala variant in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 gene with type 2 diabetes mellitus and its clinical characteristics.

METHODSThe genotypes of Pro12Ala variant in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms assay in 401 unrelated subjects of the Han population in the southern part of China (including 180 subjects with normal glucose tolerance and 221 type 2 diabetic patients). The clinical data were also analyzed.

RESULTSThe allele frequencies in the case and control groups were 96.15%,96.11% for P and 3.85%, 3.89% for A; the genotype frequencies were 92.77%, 92.22% for PP, 6.78%, 7.78% for PA and 0.45%, 0 for AA. The Pro12Ala variant of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 was not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes. The Pro12Ala polymorphism of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 in diabetes patients was associated with increased waist circumference and waist to hip ratio. The Pro12Ala polymorphism in Chinese population was similar to that in Japanese population and was different from that in European and American population.

CONCLUSIONThe above data showed that the Pro12Ala variant of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 was not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes, but it could be associated with abdominal obesity in type 2 diabetes. The significant difference of Pro12Ala of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 among various races was observed.