An association between angiotensin II type 2 receptor gene A/C3123 polymorphism and glycemic control marker in a general Japanese population.

Objective Angiotensin II (Ang II), through the Ang II type 2 receptor (AT2R), may play some roles in the pathogenesis of glucose metabolism and diabetes mellitus (DM). The Adenine/Cytosine 3123 (A/C3123) polymorphism in the AT2R gene has reportedly been associated with metabolic conditions such as blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). The present cross-sectional study was aimed at investigating the association between the AT2R gene A/C3123 polymorphism and glycemic control parameters. Methods Among 286 community-dwelling Japanese subjects (men: women = 126:160; mean age, 65.1 years), AT2R A/C3123 polymorphism, which was detected by polymerase chain reaction methods, and metabolic parameters such as blood pressure, BMI, lipoprotein/lipid, insulin, and glycemic control parameters (fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c) were examined. Results In the whole study population, the proportion of C-allele was 67.0% and A-allele was 33.0%. The A-allele carriers had significantly lower HbA1c levels than the C/C-genotyped subjects in the group of women (5.5 +/- 0.6 vs. 5.8 +/- 1.5%, P = 0.042). The effect on HbA1c persisted to be significant with adjustments to age and BMI. In men, the associations between the polymorphism and glycemic control parameters were non-significantly noted. There were no differences between genotype-based groups in the other metabolic parameters in both sexes. Conclusion These results suggest that the AT2R A/C3123 polymorphism could be a polymorphic marker related to glycemic control, as presented in HbA1c, among general Japanese women.