Association of the KCNJ11 E23K (rs5219) variant with proliferative diabetic retinopathy in Lebanese patients with type 2 diabetes - Takeaways - MDSpire

Association of the KCNJ11 E23K (rs5219) variant with proliferative diabetic retinopathy in Lebanese patients with type 2 diabetes

  • By

  • Rita Nemr

  • Akram Echtay

  • Perizat Kanabekova

  • Zhansaya Bauyrzhanova

  • Dana Amanzhol

  • Wassim Y. Almawi

  • July 8, 2026

  • 0 min

Share

  • 1

    The KCNJ11 E23K variant was studied in a Lebanese cohort of 1,415 adults with type 2 diabetes to assess its relationship with diabetic retinopathy severity.

  • 2

    The K allele of the E23K variant was more frequent in individuals with type 2 diabetes compared to normoglycemic controls.

  • 3

    E23K showed a stage-specific association, increasing odds of proliferative diabetic retinopathy compared to diabetes without retinopathy.

  • 4

    K/K homozygosity was enriched among patients with good glycemic control (HbA1c ≤ 7.0%) and was associated with an elevated risk of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

  • 5

    The overall discriminatory performance of E23K genotyping as a predictive marker for diabetic retinopathy remained poor, despite some increase in model discrimination.

Original Source(s)

Association of the KCNJ11 E23K (rs5219) variant with proliferative diabetic retinopathy in Lebanese patients with type 2 diabetes

  • by Rita Nemr, Akram Echtay, Perizat Kanabekova, Zhansaya Bauyrzhanova, Dana Amanzhol, Wassim Y. Almawi

  • July 8, 2026

Related Content

Diabetes Risk Scores: Beyond Glucose

Multi-ancestry polygenic models identify high-risk patients traditional screening may miss.

Phenotype-driven management of diabetic macular edema: multimodal imaging biomarkers and individualized therapy

Neurovascular unit uncoupling in diabetic retinopathy: molecular mechanisms and stage-adapted therapeutic strategies