Genome-wide search for type 2 diabetes/impaired glucose homeostasis susceptibility genes in the Chinese: significant linkage to chromosome 6q21-q23 and chromosome 1q21-q24.

This genome-wide search for susceptibility genes to type 2 diabetes/impaired glucose homeostasis (IGH) was performed on a relatively homogeneous Chinese sample with a total number of 257 pedigrees and 385 affected sibpairs. Two regions showed significant linkage to type 2 diabetes/IGH in the Chinese. The region showing linkage to type 2 diabetes/IGH from the entire sample group analysis was located on chromosome 6q21-q23 (128.93 cM, 1-LOD [logarithm of odds] support interval between 124 and 142 cM, according to the Marshfield genetic map), with a maximum likelihood score of 6.23, a nonparametric linkage (all) score of 4.48, and empirical P value <0.001. With a subanalysis based on 101 affected sibpairs with age at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes/IGH <40 years, we detected significant evidence for linkage to chromosome 1q21-q24 (192.1 cM, 1-LOD support interval between 182 and 197 cM), with a maximum likelihood score of 8.91, a nonparametric linkage (all) score of 5.70, and empirical P value <0.001. No interaction was observed between these two regions. Our independent replication of the region on chromosome 1q that has been shown to be linked significantly to type 2 diabetes/IGH in Chinese supports the notion that gene(s) in this region may be universally important in the development of human type 2 diabetes.