The Relationships between SORD -888G>C Gene Polymorphism and Diabetic Retinopathy in a South Sumatran Malay Population

The sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD) enzyme has 2 promoter regions with polymorphisms at  -1214 C>G (rs2055858) and -888 G>C (rs3759890), which have a complete imbalance, related to gene expression in retinal cells of diabetic patients, and more likely to have a role in diabetic retinopathy (DR) pathogenesis. The SORD -888G>C genotype occurs more often in Japanese DR patients than in patients without complications. A relationship between DR and the G allele in -888G>C polymorphism is observed in Diabetes Mellitus (DM) type-2 patients. This study aims to elucidate the relationship between the SORD -888 G>C gene polymorphism to the occurrence of DR cases in Malay population in South Sumatra. This is a case-control study. Malay DM type-2 patients who undergo direct ophthalmoscopy and fundus imaging in the Dr. Mohammad Husein Central General Hospital eye clinic in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia were the subjects of this study. Patient DNA was isolated from blood samples, PCR analyzed and sequenced in order to determine the polymorphism frequencies of the SORD -888 G>C gene. The results showed that every subject had GG genotype in SORD -888 G>C gene promoter. There was no observable polymorphism in SORD -888G>C gene in the authentic Malay population in South Sumatra.