A genetic variant in the potassium channel (KCNJ11) gene is associated with diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients

The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between the KCNJ11 rs2285676 and T2D susceptibility and/or clinical manifestations. The KCNJ11 rs2285676 genotypic/allelic distribution and the case/control association analysis were evaluated in one hundred and eighty-one T2D patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and one hundred and ninety-nine healthy controls. Our analyses showed a significant association between the presence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and the variant allele of the SNV, both at the genotypic and at the allelic level. Our results indicate a possible involvement of the KCNJ11 gene in DR development and suggests that variants of this gene could help in the prediction of DR susceptibility.