OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in patients with early-onset diabetes in Tianjin, and to explore the relationship between mtDNA mutations and diabetes.

METHODS348 non-related patients whose age at onset of diabetes was less than 45 years were randomly recruited, and 207 non-related and non-diabetic subjects were enrolled as controls. All their clinical and biochemical data were collected. Total genome was extracted conventionally from the participants' peripheral leucocytes, and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and cloning techniques were applied to the screening of mtDNA mutations (including the 3316, 3394 and 3426 in ND1 region, 12026 in ND4 region, and tRNA [Leu(UUR)] 3243 A-->G mutation).

RESULTSThe authors found 17 diabetics harboring the 12026 A-->G mutation in ND4 region (4.9%), 10 diabetics with mutations in ND1 region (including 5 diabetics with the 3394 T-->C mutation, 4 diabetics with 3316 G-->A mutation, one with 3426 A-->G mutation), and only two with the known 3243 A-->G mutation (0.6%). On the contrary, one control subject with the 3316 G-->A mutation, two with 3394 T-->C mutation and four with 12026 A-->G mutation were found. The prevalence of mtDNA mutations in the patient group is significantly higher than that in the control group (3.3%) (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe above findings suggest that mtDNA mutation may be implicated in the pathogenesis of the examined diabetes.