Polymorphism of the glucagon receptor gene and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the Russian population

Recently, a missense mutation in the glucagon receptor (GCG-R) gene causing a Gly to Ser change at codon 40 (Gly40Ser) has been associated and linked with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We screened 150 unrelated NIDDM patients and 109 non-diabetic subjects for the presence of the Gly40Ser polymorphism by use of polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism in the Russian population. None of the NIDDM patients showed this polymorphism. In contrast, two of the control subjects were heterozygous carriers of the polymorphism. Both were healthy females without a family history of diabetes. The body mass index, age, and 2-h blood glucose levels of the two subjects with the polymorphism were similar to those of the control subjects homozygous for the wild-type. Our results suggest that Gly40Ser polymorphism of the GCG-R gene is not associated with NIDDM in the Russian population and point to the genetic heterogeneity of NIDDM in different ethnic groups.