Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis confirm previous findings suggesting that variation in the heme oxygenase-1 gene (HMOX1) is linked to increased risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Previous studies have suggested that risk associated alleles of several variants of HMOX1, particularly a (GT)n repeat length polymorphism and the common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) T(-413)A, increase the risk for Type 2 diabetes, but other results have been conflicting.

To try and clarify the association, Liegang Liu (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China) and colleagues carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of five studies published before 2010 that included a total of 1965 Type 2 diabetics and 3484 controls.

All five studies genotyped participants for the (GT)n repeat length polymorphism and one also included the T(-413)A SNP.

The team found that carriers of the long (L) versus the short (S) allele of the (GT)n repeat length polymorphism had an overall 12% increased relative risk for Type 2 diabetes.

In addition, those with a LL genotype compared with a SS genotype for this variant had a 25% increased relative risk for Type 2 diabetes.

There was no evidence for an association between the T(-413)A genotype and risk for Type 2 diabetes, but the researchers acknowledge that there was only minimal data available for this polymorphism.

HMOX1 is thought to be a biomarker for cell stress status, which may explain the link with Type 2 diabetes.

“The results of this meta-analysis suggest that the HMOX1 (GT)n L allele may help to identify persons at higher risk of Type 2 diabetes; however, we do not suggest that such testing is indicated on a population-wide basis, because only a modest increase in Type 2 diabetes risk was observed,” write the authors, who suggest that further research on this topic is warranted.

The results of this study are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a trading division of Springer Healthcare Limited. © Springer Healthcare Ltd; 2010

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