Genetic study of the CD36 gene in a French diabetic population

Objectives: CD36 is a multifunctional membrane receptor widely expressed in different tissues which binds and internalizes oxidized low-density lipoprotein. In rodents, CD36 gene variations modulate glucose homeostasis and contribute to metabolic syndrome associated with type 2 diabetes but the effects in human are unknown. Methods: We screened the entire coding sequence of the CD36 gene in 272 individuals and we genotyped both rare and frequent variants in 454 T2D subjects and 221 controls. Results: We detected five mutations, P191P and M247S were only found each in one family and did not segregate with diabetes, the three others (A/C-178 in the promoter, A/G-10 in intron 3 and (GGGTTGAGA) insertion in intron 13) being equally frequent in diabetic subjects and in controls. However, adiponectin levels, a marker for insulin sensitivity, were significantly associated with the -178 A/C promoter variant allele (p = 0.003, p corrected for multiple testing = 0.036), possibly reflecting association with insulin-resistance in the French population. Conclusion: Thus, the -178 A/C SMP promoter mutation in the CD36 gene represents a putative genetic marker for insulin-resistance in the French population, although it does not appear to contribute to the genetic risk for T2D.