Association of Solute Carrier Family 2, Member 9 (SLC2A9) Genetic Variant Rs3733591 with Gout in a Malay Sample Set

Introduction: Gout is one of the most common inflammatory arthritis in Malaysia. It is due to persistent hyperuricemia that leads to the formation and deposition of intra- and periarticular monosodium urate crystals either due to excessive production or insufficient excretion of uric acid. Incidence and prevalence of gout is increasing worldwide, with a higher rate among men compared to women. Malay is the largest ethnic group in Malaysia, followed by Chinese and Indian. SLC2A9 is a renal urate transporter that controls renal uric acid excretion and genetic variants in SLC2A9 are associated with the risk of gout in several populations. This study aimed to test if the SLC2A9 variant (R265H, rs3733591) is also associated with gout among Malays in Malaysia.

Methodology: A total of 89 patients with gouty arthritis and 100 normal subjects who consented and were recruited in this study. The serum urate and creatinine were measured. The SNP genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP method for rs3733591 and BST 1236 was used as a restriction enzyme to cut the targeted amplicons.

Result: SLC2A9 variant was associated with gout, p-value of 0.007, OR=4.713 [95%CI 1.530-14.513], however this association was not significant after adjustment for age and gender with p=0.465 (OR=1.950; 95%CI[0.325-11.718]).

Conclusion: Our data suggest that the genetic variant of SLC2A9 may contribute to the susceptibility of gout among Malays in Malaysia.