Objective: Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genetic variation which is a major constituent of plasma lipoproteins causes diabetic nephropathy progress. Chronic kidney disease is associated with increased E2 allele and the decreased E4 allele risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between ApoE gene polymorphism in the development of diabetic nephropathy in Type 2 diabetes Turkish patients.
Research design and methods: The objective of the study is to investigate the influence of ApoE gene polymorphism in the development of diabetic nephropathy in Turkish Type 2 diabetes. The ApoE genotypes were determined retrospectively in 46 patients with nephropathy and 56 without nephropathy and a control group of 35 healthy individuals. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes of the subjects using the High Pure PCR Template Preparation Kit. For the detection of the presence of the three ApoE E alleles epsilon2, epsilon3, and epsilon4 (codon 112 and 158) were analyzed by the commercial LightCycler ApoE Mutation Detection Kit.
Results: No differences in ApoE genotype or the allelic frequencies of epsilon2, epsilon3 or epsilon4 were found between the Type 2 diabetic patient group (with and without nephropathy) and a control group.
Conclusions: We conclude that the ApoE gene polymorphism is not associated with the development of diabetic nephropathy in Turkish Type 2 diabetic patients. Lack of association between ApoE gene polymorphism and Type 2 diabetic nephropathy might be due to ethnic differences.