The Relationship between insulin variable number of tandem repeats (INS-VNTR) -23 A/T and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) +49 A/G polymorphisms with islet autoantibodies in persons with diabetes

Both genetic and environmental factors are important in pathogenesis of diabetes. Non HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) genes such as INS-VNTR and CTLA-4 in addition of HLA genes have influence on genetic susceptibility for diabetes mellitus. In this study the association of A/G CTLA-4 and -23 A/T INS-VNTR polymorphisms with diabetes and their association with islet autoantibodies were investigated.
Thirty four autoantibody positive adult persons with diabetes mellitus and 39 persons with Type 1diabetes mellitus (T1DM), 40 autoantibody negative Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and 40 healthy controls were studied using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique.
The frequencies of -23 A/T INS-VNTR genotypes were not significantly different among study groups. It was shown that the distribution of the  CTLA-4 allele and genotype frequencies did not differ between T1DM patients, autoantibody positive adult patients and controls. With increasing CTLA-4 G allele and GG/AG genotypes, the frequency of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Autoantibody (GADA), Islet Cell Autoantibody (ICA) and Islet Antigen 2 Antibody (IA2A) positive patients were increased.
Our results suggest that susceptibility allele A of -23A/T INS-VNTR does not have any role in the pathogenesis of diabetes in our patients and susceptibility allele G of A/G CTLA-4 if not, has a small role in pathogenesis of diabetes in T1DM and autoantibody positive adult patients and in spite of significant increase in autoantibody negative T2DM group it does not have any role in disease pathogenesis.