Meta-analysis of the effect of KCNQ1 gene polymorphism on the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The potassium voltage-gated channel, KQT-like subfamily member 1 (KCNQ1) is a member of 11 mammalian Kv channel families that plays a key role for the repolarization of the cardiac action potential as well as water and salt transport. Genome-wide association studies have identified KCNQ1 as a type 2 diabetes (T2D) susceptibility gene in populations of Asian descent. After that, a number of studies reported that the rs2237892, rs2237895, rs2237897, rs2283228, and rs231362 polymorphism in KCNQ1 has been implicated in T2D risk. However, studies on the association between these polymorphism and T2D remain conflicting. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis of 114,140 patients and 167,322 controls from 30 published case-control studies was performed. Overall, significantly elevated T2D risk was associated with rs2237892, rs2237895, rs2237897, rs2283228, and rs231362 risk allele when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis. In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, sample size, and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium status of controls, significantly increased risks were found for these polymorphisms. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that rs2237892, rs2237895, rs2237897, rs2283228, and rs231362 polymorphisms in KCNQ1 are associated with elevated T2D risk.