Ancestral effect on HOMA-IR levels quantitated in an American population of Mexican origin

Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec;35(12):2591-3. doi: 10.2337/dc12-0636. Epub 2012 Aug 13.

Abstract

Objective: An elevated insulin resistance index (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]) is more commonly seen in the Mexican American population than in European populations. We report quantitative ancestral effects within a Mexican American population, and we correlate ancestral components with HOMA-IR.

Research design and methods: We performed ancestral analysis in 1,551 participants of the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort by genotyping 103 ancestry-informative markers (AIMs). These AIMs allow determination of the percentage (0-100%) ancestry from three major continental populations, i.e., European, African, and Amerindian.

Results: We observed that predominantly Amerindian ancestral components were associated with increased HOMA-IR (β = 0.124, P = 1.64 × 10(-7)). The correlation was more significant in males (Amerindian β = 0.165, P = 5.08 × 10(-7)) than in females (Amerindian β = 0.079, P = 0.019).

Conclusions: This unique study design demonstrates how genomic markers for quantitative ancestral information can be used in admixed populations to predict phenotypic traits such as insulin resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Insulin Resistance / genetics
  • Insulin Resistance / physiology*
  • Male
  • Mexican Americans / genetics
  • Mexican Americans / statistics & numerical data
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics
  • Principal Component Analysis