Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a prevalent global health issue, imposing a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide and associated with high mortality rates. According to the World Health Organization's 2020 data, approximately 13.9% of adults in Iraq suffer from diabetes. Recent studies have highlighted the involvement of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in various biological processes, including glucose homeostasis. HOTAIR, an lncRNA composed of 2158 nucleotides, has been shown to harbor four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs1899663, rs12826786, rs4759314, and rs920778, which are associated with the development of diabetes. In Iraq, there have been no previous investigations into the relationship between genetic variations in the HOTAIR gene and type 2 diabetes. To determine the association between the rs1899663 and rs12826786 SNPs in the HOTAIR gene and serum glucose levels, as well as its potential as a diagnostic marker for Iraqi diabetic patients, blood samples were collected from 28 type 2 diabetes patients and 20 healthy controls. Physiological data, including height, weight, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, HDL, LDL, cholesterol, and diabetes-related complications, were collected. The type of HOTAIR SNPs was determined using ARMS-PCR, followed by statistical analysis to identify correlations between different parameters. Based on the data analysis, a significant correlation was found between the two lncRNA HOTAIR gene SNPs and the examined variables. Therefore, these SNPs can be considered as potential prognostic markers in T2DM patients.
