Lack of association of the calpain-10 Indel-19 variant with chronic diseases in a Mexican population

OBJECTIVE: The CAPN10 gene encodes a protein that regulates insulin secretion and glucose uptake. Its variant Indel-19 has been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, diabetes-related traits, and some chronic disorders, mainly obesity. This study aimed to investigate the association between the CAPN10 Indel-19 variant and some clinical parameters in a Mexican population sample. We recruited 426 apparently healthy individuals over 30 years of age. We obtained anthropometric data, arterial pressure, fasting biochemical parameters, and genotyping for CAPN10 Indel-19. RESULTS: The frequency of overweight and obesity was 82.9%, hypertension 8%, hypercholesterolemia 14.8%, hypertriglyceridemia 31.9%, impaired plasma glucose 23.9%, and diabetes 4.7%. The genotype frequencies were 13.1%, 47.9%, and 39% for del/del, del/ins, and ins/ins, respectively; the allele frequencies were 37.1% for the del allele and 62.9% for the ins allele. The analysis of the continuous parameters according to the genotypes showed no significant differences. However, when these parameters were dichotomized (reference group versus high-level group), the ins allele was associated with a protective effect against high arterial pressure (prehypertension and hypertension). It is unclear whether the CAPN10 Indel-19 variant increases the risk of chronic diseases, so further studies are needed to confirm or refute this issue.