The 1059G>C Polymorphism in C-Reactive Protein Gene and Its Association with Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes in the Moroccan Population

Abstract

Human C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase reactant involved in chronic and acute inflammation, which plays an important role in developing many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study aimed to evaluate the association between CRP 1059G>C Polymorphism and predisposition to T2D in patients from a population of Morocco. We analyzed data from 212 patients with T2D and 158 controls. After the DNA is extracted from the blood samples, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis are performed to determine the CRP gene's 1059G>C polymorphism. In the comparison between the control and patient groups, there was a significant difference in both genotype and allele frequencies (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The prevalence of GG and GC genotypes in diabetic patients was 96.7% and 3.3%, respectively, while in controls, it was 81.6% and 18.4%, respectively. The heterozygote GC was associated with a higher risk of T2D compared to the GG genotype (OR = 0.15, 95%CI = 0.06–0.35, P < 0.001). Regarding the allele frequencies, in the diabetic group, the G and C alleles were found at 98.3% and 1.7%, respectively, while in controls, they were present at frequencies of 90.8% and 9.2%, respectively. The CRP C allele was associated with a 0.16-fold decreased risk of T2D compared to the G allele (OR = 0.16, 95%CI = 0.07–0.38, P < 0.001). These results indicate a significant association between the CRP 1059G>C polymorphism and T2D in the Moroccan population.