Effect of IL-23 Receptor Gene Polymorphism (Rs1884444) on the Prevalence of Oral Fungal Infection in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study in Iraqi Patients

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex metabolic disorder linked to several genetic disorders. Over the last decade, advancements in genetic association studies have resulted in the identification of at least 75 distinct genetic loci associated with T2DM, allowing for a better understanding of the genetic architecture of this disease. Recently, there has been a positive association between the prevalence of oral fungal infection and T2DM. The current study aimed to assess the effect of single nucleotide polymorphism in IL23R (rs1884444) on oral fungal infection and the distribution of alleles in T2DM patients compared to healthy controls. A total of 150 specimens, including oral swabs and whole blood samples, were collected from the Endocrinology and Diabetes Center in Baghdad. Oral swabs were collected via AIMS transport media. Routine tests and the Vitek 2 system carried out fungal identification; moreover, the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) was used for molecular detection. The findings revealed that the O blood group was positively associated with T2DM and oral fungal infection. Moreover, the TT genotype for IL23R SNP (rs1884444G/T) increased significantly in patients, as compared to that in healthy control. Furthermore, the T allele was increased in patients suffering from T2DM (P<0.001). The GT and TT were more frequent in oral fungal infection in patients with T2DM. The TT and T alleles were positively associated with the risk of developing T2DM. Moreover, GT and TT were associated with oral fungal infection and T2DM.