Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease with chronic nature resulting from a combination of both factors genetic and environmental. The genetic contributors of T1D among Iraqis are unexplored enough. The study aimed to shed a light on the contribution between genetic variation of interleukin2 (IL2) gene to T1D as a risk influencer in a sample of Iraqi patients. The association between IL2−330 polymorphism (rs2069762) was investigated in 322 Iraqis (78 T1D patients and 244 volunteers as controls). Genotyping for the haplotypes using polymerase chain reaction test – specific sequence primer (PCR-SSP) for (GG, GT, and TT) genotypes corresponding to (G and T) alleles were performed. A significant association revealed a decreased frequency between the observed and expected TT genotype between patients compared to control subjects (10.26% vs 25.89%; P= 0.004); however, in term of alleles, the T allele was non significantly decreased (24.36% vs. 53.13%; P = 1.000) and the related PF values were (0.33 and 0.28 respectively). The current study demonstrated that IL2−330 SNP; TT genotype / T allele is associated with a risk of developing T1D in this sample of the Iraqi population, and that IL2−330 genetic variation confers a risk factor for T1D pathology.
