OBJECTIVE-The gene encoding the ␣2 Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG) is a credible biological and positional candidate gene for type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome, and previous attempts to relate AHSG variation with type 2 diabetes and obesity in Swedish and French Caucasians have been largely successful. We related seven frequent AHSG tag single nucleotide polymorphisms to a range of metabolic traits, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-The polymorphisms were genotyped in 7,683 white Danish subjects using Taqman allelic discrimination or chip-based matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, providing a statistical power of Ͼ99% to replicate previous findings. Data were analyzed in case-control and haplotype settings, and quantitative metabolic traits were examined for association. Moreover, epistatic effects between AHSG variants and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) and -2-adrenergic receptor polymorphisms were investigated.RESULTS-The Ϫ469TϾG (rs2077119) and IVS6ϩ98CϾT (rs2518136) polymorphisms were associated with type 2 diabetes (P ϭ 0.007 and P ϭ 0.006, respectively, or P corr ϭ 0.04 and P corr ϭ 0.03, respectively, following correction for multiple hypothesis testing), and in a combined analysis of the present and a previous study Ϫ469TϾG remained significant (odds ratio 0.90 [95% CI 0.84 -0.97]; P ϭ 0.007). Furthermore, two AHSG haplotypes were associated with dyslipidemia (P ϭ 0.003 and P corr ϭ 0.009). Thr248Met (rs4917) tended to associate with lower fasting and post-oral glucose tolerance test serum insulin release (P ϭ 0.02, P corr ϭ 0.1 for fasting and P ϭ 0.04, P corr ϭ 0.2 for area under the insulin curve) and improved insulin sensitivity estimated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (9.0 vs. 8.6 mmol ⅐ l Ϫ1 ⅐ pmol Ϫ1 ⅐ l Ϫ1 ; P ϭ 0.01, P corr ϭ 0.06). Indications of epistatic effects of AHSG variants with the IRS1 Gly971Arg polymorphism were observed for fasting serum triglyceride concentrations.CONCLUSIONS-Based on present and previous findings, common variation in AHSG may contribute to the interindividual variation in metabolic traits. Diabetes 57:1427-1432, 2008 T he ␣ 2 Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG) is secreted mainly by the liver and is abundant in plasma. AHSG inhibits insulin-stimulated insulin receptor autophosphorylation, insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1), and the association of IRS1 with the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase in vitro (1-3). Elevated plasma AHSG was associated with insulin resistance in humans (4), and AHSG levels were higher in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (5) and women with gestational diabetes (6). Ahsg knockout mice demonstrate increased basal and insulin-stimulated insulin receptor phosphorylation, increased glucose clearance, and insulin sensitivity (7). Moreover, even on a high-fat diet and at old age Ahsg knockout mice were resistant to weight gain and remained insulin sens...