The Association of KCNQ1 rs2237892 polymorphism with Cardiovascular Disease in Sudanese Patients with type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the largest global health problem, typically complicated by cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the most significant mortality factor in diabetic patients. Genetic predisposition plays a major role in disease development, and the potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily Q member 1 (KCNQ1) gene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of T2DM and with increased risk of CVD. The KCNQ1 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2237892 T allele was reported to influence insulin secretion and cardiovascular events previously, but occurs with controversial results in various populations. Objective: To investigate the association between the KCNQ1 rs2237892 polymorphism and Cardiovascular complications in Sudanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A case–control study in Khartoum, Sudan (March 2020–August 2021) included 330 T2DM patients (165 with CVD and 165 without). rs2237892 genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP. Biochemical parameters were analyzed using the Mindray BS-480 Auto Chemistry Analyzer and insulin hormone by the Roche Cobas e 411 Analyzer. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Results: Distribution of genotype in the total population was CC (39%), CT (27%), and TT (34%). There was no difference between diabetic patients with and without CVD in the distribution of genotype (p = 0.506). Odds ratios in dominant, recessive, and allelic models were slightly more than 1 and suggest a non-significant trend towards increased risk of CVD in carriers of the T allele. Clinical and biochemical variables (BMI, FBS, HbA1c, lipid profile, insulin hormone) did not differ significantly between genotypes (p > 0.05) Conclusion: The KCNQ1 rs2237892 polymorphism showed no significant association with cardiovascular disease in the studied Sudanese population, nor with metabolic or biochemical markers. These findings suggest possible population-specific effects of this variant and highlight the need for larger, multi-ethnic, and functional studies to clarify its role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus.