The Association between CDKAL1 gene rs10946398 polymorphism and post-transplant diabetes in kidney allograft recipients treated with tacrolimus

Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common complication that occurs in kidney transplant patients, increasing the risk of infection, cardiovascular disease and loss of graft function. Currently, factors that increase the risk of this complication are being sought, among them polymorphisms in genes that regulate carbohydrate metabolism and influence pancreatic β-cell function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of selected polymorphisms of genes affecting carbohydrate metabolism, such as CDKAL1 rs10946398, GCK rs1799884, GCKR rs780094 and DGKB/TMEM195 rs2191349, with the development of post-transplant diabetes in kidney transplant patients. This study included 201 Caucasian patients after kidney transplantation treated with tacrolimus. An association was observed between the CDKAL1 rs10946398 gene polymorphism and PTDM. Among patients with PTDM, there was an increased prevalence of the CC genotype in the PTDM group compared to the group without PTDM. The chance of PTDM in those with the CC genotype was 2.60 times higher compared to those with the AC + AA genotypes (CC vs. AC + AA OR (95% CI): 2.60 (1.02–6.61), p = 0.040). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age and the CC genotype (rare homozygote) of CDKAL1 rs10946398 were risk factors for the development of PTDM at 1 year after transplantation. There was no statistically significant association between GCK rs1799884, GCKR rs780094 or DGKB/TMEM195 rs2191349 polymorphisms and the development of post-transplant diabetes mellitus in kidney transplant patients. The results of this study suggest that the CDKAL1 rs10946398 CC genotype is associated with the increased risk of PTDM development in patients after kidney graft transplantation treated with tacrolimus.