Association of KCNJ11 E23K (rs5219) polymorphism to Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a case-control study in Indian population of Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a public health problem, which affects a millions worldwide. T2D is considered a multifactorial disorder, with both environmental and genetic factors contributing to its development. Impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance both contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The recently discovered genes by Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) suggest a shift from genes involved in insulin action to those involved in insulin secretion, indicating pivotal role of beta-cell dysfunction in the pathogenesis of T2D (reviewed in Singh, 2015) [1]. An important issue linked with diabetes development is the failure of the insulin releasing mechanism in pancreatic beta cells. Therefore, genes encoding proteins critical in pancreatic beta-cell functions including those associated with insulin secretion are particularly good candidates for susceptibility to T2D.