Purpose: This study aimed to characterize dietary patterns in the Uyghur population and examined the relationship between dietary pattern, TCF7L2  single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Patients and methods: Dietary patterns were defined using factor analysis, and associations between dietary patterns were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Genotyping of seven SNPs of TCF7L2  (rs11196205, rs12255372, rs12573128, rs4506565, rs7895340, rs7901695, and rs7903146) was conducted, and the association between these seven SNPs and the risk of T2DM was evaluated. Interactions between SNPs, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and dietary patterns were also analyzed.
Results: A total of 828 participants were enrolled in this study, including 491 people with T2DM and 337 healthy controls. Five dietary patterns were defined, and the results indicated that the “fruit” and “vegetables” dietary patterns were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of T2DM, whereas the “meats” and “grains” dietary patterns were associated with an increased risk of T2DM. Moreover, the “dairy product” dietary pattern showed no association with the risk of T2DM. Furthermore, our results revealed that the TCF7L2  SNP, rs12573128, is associated with an increased risk of T2DM. SNPs rs4506565 and rs7903146 significantly interacted with dietary pattern.
Conclusion: Our studies suggest that dietary pattern and genetic polymorphisms of TCF7L2  are associated with the development of T2DM in the Uyghur population of China.
Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, dietary patterns, TCF7L2 , polymorphism, Uyghur