POLYMORPHISM OF THE GLYCOGEN-SYNTHASE GENE AND NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS IN THE RUSSIAN POPULATION

Recently, a polymorphism in the glycogen synthase gene was shown to be associated with the development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mel litus (NIDDM) and identified patients with a strong family history of diabetes and hypertension in the Finnish population. However, no assoc iation was found in French and Japanese populations. We investigated t he possible association between the Xbal polymorphism of the glycogen synthase gene and NIDDM in the Russian population. One hundred fifty N IDDM patients and 109 healthy controls were studied. In 16 of 150 Russ ian NIDDM patients (10.7%), the Xbal polymorphism was found, and 17 of 109 controls (15.6%) showed the Xbal polymorphism (P >.05). These res ults suggest that the Xbal polymorphism of the glycogen synthase gene cannot be used as a marker for NIDDM in the Russian population. Copyri ght (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.