Identification of genetic effects underlying type 2 diabetes in South Asian and European populations

Abstract South Asians are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). We carried out a genome-wide association meta-analysis with South Asian T2D cases ( n = 16,677) and controls ( n = 33,856), followed by combined analyses with Europeans (n eff = 231,420). We identify 21 novel genetic loci for significant association with T2D ( P = 4.7 × 10 −8 to 5.2 × 10 −12 ), to the best of our knowledge at the point of analysis. The loci are enriched for regulatory features, including DNA methylation and gene expression in relevant tissues, and highlight CHMP4B , PDHB , LRIG1 and other genes linked to adiposity and glucose metabolism. A polygenic risk score based on South Asian-derived…