Association of polymorphic markers of the lipid metabolism genes with diabetic polyneuropathy in type 1 diabetes mellitus

A possible association of the polymorphic markers epsilon 2/epsilon 3/epsilon 4 of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) and I/D of the apolipoprotein B gene (APOB) with diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) was analyzed in patients with type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with (N = 86) or without (N = 94) clinical signs of DPN, The two groups did not differ significantly in allele and genotype frequencies of the epsilon 2/epsilon 3/epsilon 4 polymorphic marker ofthe APOE gene. Analysis of the allele and genotype frequency distributions of the I/D polymorphic marker of the APOB gene showed that risk of DPN is higher in carriers of allele I or genotype I/I (OR = 1.66 and 2.01, respectively) and lower in carriers of allele D (OR = 0.60). The results implicate the APOB gene. which codes for one of the major components of the lipid metabolism system, in DPN development in patients with T1DM.