Rs1520220 and Rs2195239 Polymorphisms of IGF-1 Gene Associated with Histopathological Grades in IgA Nephropathy in Northwestern Chinese Han Population

Background/Aims: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plays important roles in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and growth. Previous studies showed that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IGF-1 are associated with various diseases. This case-control study aimed to examine the relationship between IGF-1 polymorphisms and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) risk in a Chinese Han population. Methods: We recruited 351 IgAN patients and 310 healthy controls from Northwestern China. Sequenom MassARRAY was utilized to examine the genotypes of two common IGF-1 SNPs (rs1520220 and rs2195239). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by the Chi square test to evaluate the associations between IGF-1 and IgAN. Results: Our study demonstrated that IGF-1 gene rs1520220 and rs2195239 polymorphisms did not confer susceptibility to IgAN. We found no correlation between gender, blood pressure, proteinuria, eGFR, and IgAN in both SNPs. However, the rs1520220 and rs2195239 variants were correlated with M1 and E1 in patients with IgAN (M0/M1: CC vs. CG+GG: OR = 1.62, P = 0.04; E0/E1: CC vs. CG+GG: OR = 1.95, P = 0.004; GG vs. GC+CC: OR = 1.90, P = 0.004, respectively). Conclusion: These results indicate that IGF-1 gene polymorphisms play crucial roles in the histopathological progression of IgAN in the Chinese Han population.