Identification of type 2 diabetes loci in 433,540 East Asian individuals
Meta analyses of genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 240 loci that are associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) 1 2 however, most of these loci have been identified in analyses of individuals with European ancestry. Here, to examine T2D risk in East Asian individuals, we carried out a meta analysis of GWAS data from 77,418 individuals with T2D and 356,122 healthy control individuals. In the main analysis, we identified 301 distinct association signals at 183 loci, and across T2D association models with and without consideration of body mass index and sex, we identified 61 loci that are newly implicated in predisposition to T2D. Common variants associated with T2D in both East Asian and European populations exhibited strongly correlated effect sizes. Previously undescribed associations include signals in or near GDAP1 PTF1A SIX3 ALDH2 a microRNA cluster, and genes that affect the differentiation of muscle and adipose cells 3 At another locus, expression quantitative trait loci at two overlapping T2D signals affect two genes NKX6 3 and ANK1 in different tissues 4 6 Association studies in diverse populations identify additional loci and elucidate disease associated genes, biology, and pathways. A meta analysis of genome wide association study data from 77,418 individuals of East Asian ancestry with type 2 diabetes identifies novel variants associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Nature