Prevalence of A-to-G mutation at nucleotide 3243 of the mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) gene in Japanese patients with diabetes mellitus and end stage renal disease

The A-to-G mutation at nucleotide 3243 of the mitochondrial tRNA ^Leu(UUR) gene (mt.3243A>G) is associated with both diabetes mellitus and myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). Recently, this mutation was found in three diabetic subjects with progressive kidney disease, suggesting that it may be a contributing factor in the development of kidney disease in patients with diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of this mutation to the development of end stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with diabetes. The study group consisted of 135 patients with diabetes and ESRD. The control group consisted of 92 non-diabetic subjects with ESRD who were receiving hemodialysis. The mt.3243A>G mutation was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction frag-ment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). We found the mt.3243A>G mutation in eight patients (8/135; 5.9%), all of whom were initially diagnosed with type II diabetes. Five of the eight patients were subsequently also diagnosed with MELAS. We did not find the mutation in any of the 92 non-diabetic subjects with ESRD. The prevalence of this mutation was 6.5-fold higher in patients with diabetes and ESRD than in those with diabetes alone (8/135 vs 5/550, respectively; χ² = 13.704; P = 0.0002). The mt.3243A>G mutation may be a contributing genetic factor in the development of ESRD in Japanese patients with diabetes. Received: November 29, 2000 / Accepted: February 27, 2001