ABSTRACT
Objective A recent study has shown the association between a sulfonylurea receptor gene 1 (SUR1) variant and hyperinsulinemia in normal individuals from a high diabetes risk ethnic group,supporting the hypothesis that the primary insulin hypersecretion may be an antecedent of type 2 diabetes.Methods To test this hypothesis in Chinese population,we studied the allele and genotype distribution of the polymorphism at -3 position of intron 24 in SUR1 by PCR RFLP technique in 206 unrelated normal glucose tolerant subjects with strong family history of type 2 diabetes (group A) and 110 normal individuals without family history of diabetes (group B).Results The frequency of “-3c” allele and “-3cc” genotype of intron 24 in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (64% vs 54%, P =0 004 and 38% vs 24%, P =0.002 respectively).Moreover,in group A, those carrying “cc” genetype had a higher BMI (27 27?6 37 vs 24.99?3.43kg/m 2, P