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K Borch-Johnsen

Publications and source records attributed to K Borch-Johnsen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Large-scale studies of the Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene in relation to the metabolic syndrome and associated quantitative traits.

AIM: Recently, low-frequency polymorphisms in the coding region of the ghrelin gene were suggested to be involved in the aetiology of obesity and to modulate glucose-induced insulin secretion in different ethnic study groups. The objective of the present large study was to investigate whether the Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene associates with features of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in the Danish population. METHODS: The variant was examined, using PCR-RFLP, in the DanMONICA cohort, a population-based sample of 2413 subjects. The metabolic syndrome was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria. RESULTS: The allelic frequency of the Met72 allele was 8.6%[6.3-10.9%] in the MS group and 7.8%[7.0-8.6%] among subjects classified as not having the MS (NS). Similarly, there were no significant differences across the three groups of genotypes with respect to any of the examined variables, including BMI, waist circumference, fasting serum lipids, plasma glucose, serum insulin and HOMA estimates of insulin resistance and insulin secretion. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene is not associated with the metabolic syndrome or related quantitative traits in the Danish population.

Adult↗

Can a screening programme for diabetes be applied to another population?

AIMS: To compare the performance of a Danish diabetes screening protocol in populations from Denmark and Australia. METHODS: The populations used were the Inter99 population from Denmark and the AusDiab population from Australia. The Inter99 study included 6270 individuals aged 30-60 years, randomly selected from Copenhagen County. The AusDiab study included 7079 individuals also aged 30-60 years, randomly selected from throughout Australia. In both studies, all individuals without known diabetes underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Screening using a Danish risk score as an initial step was followed by measurement of fasting plasma glucose (FPG). RESULTS: The characteristics of the study populations showed some differences in risk profile, with more individuals in the AusDiab study being obese, whilst in the Danish cohort, mean blood pressure was higher, less people took anti-hypertensive medication and there was a higher prevalence of screen-detected diabetes. Comparing the Australian and Danish populations, overall performance of the screening protocol was similar-area under area receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve 0.75 vs. 0.77, sensitivity 71 vs. 76% and positive predictive value (PPV) 6 vs. 9%. Small but statistically significant differences were observed in specificity (70 vs. 66%; P < 0.001) and percentage of the population requiring further testing (31 vs. 36%; P < 0.001). Combining the risk score with FPG > or = 6.1 mmol/l showed a similar pattern. Again, specificity was slightly but significantly higher in the Australian population (95 vs. 93%; P < 0.001) and percentage of the population requiring further testing was lower (5 vs. 8%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Danish risk score performed well when applied to a geographically different Caucasian population and is a suitable tool for detecting people at high risk of undiagnosed diabetes.

Adult↗

Are insulin resistance, impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance all equally strongly related to age?

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance (IR) has been considered an underlying cause of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Whether IR increases with age has been debated. We investigated the age-associated deterioration in the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of IR and in glucose metabolism. METHODS: Ten (nine including women) European studies contributed data on 6314 men and 6393 women aged 30-88 years. The cohort- and sex-specific top 25% of HOMA of IR in non-diabetic subjects was used to define HOMA-IR. RESULTS: Compared with subjects aged 50-59 years, the cohort- and body mass index-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for HOMA-IR was 0.83 (0.64, 1.08), 0.87 (0.74, 1.03), 1.20 (1.02, 1.42) and 1.45 (1.10, 1.92) in men and 0.84 (0.62, 1.14), 0.91 (0.77, 1.09), 1.38 (1.19, 1.62) and 1.71 (1.35, 2.17) in women, respectively, aged 30-39, 40-49, 60-69 and > or = 70 years (P < 0.0001 for trend test). The same increasing trend was also observed for IFG. In contrast, the corresponding odds ratios for IGT increased linearly and more strongly with age, being 0.37 (0.22, 0.63), 0.67 (0.52, 0.87), 1.55 (1.24, 1.92) and 2.96 (2.13, 4.13) in men and 0.51 (0.31, 0.85), 0.66 (0.52, 0.86), 1.92 (1.57, 2.35) and 3.85 (2.89, 5.12) in women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Age is more strongly associated with IGT than with HOMA-IR or IFG in non-diabetic European populations.

Adult↗

Evidence of an association between genetic variation of the coactivator PGC-1beta and obesity.

BACKGROUND: Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1beta (PGC-1beta) is a recently identified homologue of the tissue specific coactivator PGC-1alpha, a coactivator of transcription factors such as the peroxisome proliferators activated receptors and nuclear respiratory factors. PGC-1alpha is involved in adipogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid beta oxidation, and hepatic gluconeogenesis. METHODS: We studied variation in the coding region of human PPARGC1B in Danish whites and related these variations to the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in population based samples. RESULTS: Twenty nucleotide variants were identified. In a study of 525 glucose tolerant subjects, the Ala203Pro and Val279Ile variants were in almost complete linkage disequilibrium (R2 = 0.958). In a case-control study of obesity involving a total of 7790 subjects, the 203Pro allele was significantly less frequent among obese participants (p = 0.004; minor allele frequencies: normal weight subjects 8.1% (95% confidence interval: 7.5 to 8.8), overweight subjects 7.6% (7.0 to 8.3), obese subjects 6.5% (5.6 to 7.3)). In a case-control study involving 1433 patients with type 2 diabetes and 4935 glucose tolerant control subjects, none of the examined variants were associated with type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Variation of PGC-1beta may contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity, with a widespread Ala203 allele being a risk factor for the development of this common disorder.

Aged↗

Plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide as an independent predictor of mortality in diabetic nephropathy.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Raised N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is independently associated with an increased risk of death in chronic heart failure and acute coronary syndromes in nondiabetic populations. Diabetic nephropathy is characterised by an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study investigated the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in a large cohort of type 1 diabetic patients with and without diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: In a prospective observational follow-up study, 198 type 1 diabetic patients with overt diabetic nephropathy (122 men, age [mean+/-SD] 41+/-10 years, duration of diabetes 28+/-8 years, GFR 74+/-33 ml min(-1)) and a matched control group of 188 patients with longstanding type 1 diabetes and persistent normoalbuminuria (114 men, age 43+/-10 years, duration of diabetes 27+/-9 years) were followed for 9.3 (0.0-9.5) years. Plasma NT-proBNP concentration was determined by immunoassay at baseline. RESULTS: In patients with diabetic nephropathy, plasma NT-proBNP concentration was elevated to (median [range]) 110 (5-79640) ng l(-1) vs. 27 (5-455) ng l(-1) in normoalbuminuric patients (p<0.0001). Among patients with nephropathy, 39 (39%) patients with plasma NT-proBNP concentrations above the median and 12 (12%) with values below the median died from any cause (unadjusted hazard ratio 3.86 [95% CI 2.02-7.37], p<0.0001; covariate-adjusted hazard ratio 2.28 [1.04-4.99], p=0.04). This lower mortality rate was attributable to fewer cardiovascular deaths: 31 (31%) and 7 (7%) above and below the median NT-proBNP level respectively (unadjusted hazard ratio 5.25 [2.31-11.92], p<0.0001; covariate-adjusted hazard ratio 3.81 [1.46-9.94], p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Elevated circulating NT-proBNP is a new independent predictor of the excess overall and cardiovascular mortality in diabetic nephropathy patients without symptoms of heart failure.

Adult↗

Prediction of the risk of cardiovascular mortality using a score that includes glucose as a risk factor. The DECODE Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Risk scores have been developed to predict cardiovascular or coronary risk, and while most have included diabetes as a risk factor, none have included lower glucose concentrations, either at fasting or following a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. This article develops 5- and 10-year risk scores for cardiovascular mortality that include glucose concentrations as well as known diabetes status. METHODS: Data is from the DECODE cohort: 16,506 men and 8,907 women from 14 European studies. The risk factors studied were as follows: age, fasting and 2-h glucose (including cases of known diabetes), fasting glucose alone (including cases of known diabetes), cholesterol, smoking status, systolic blood pressure and BMI. For an absolute risk score the 1995 country- and sex-specific cardiovascular death rates were used. RESULTS: In men, for both 5- and 10-year cardiovascular mortality, after adjusting for age and study centre, all studied risk factors, except BMI, were significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality (p<0.05). These results were unchanged in multivariate models with all factors included. In women, after adjusting for age and centre, glucose categories, systolic blood pressure and BMI were predictive of 5-year cardiovascular mortality. With all factors in the model, only age and glucose categories were predictive. In terms of 10-year cardiovascular mortality, smoking status and blood pressures were also predictive in the women. For men and women, the same scores were used for the risk factors, except for age and glucose categories where the hazard ratios differed significantly. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Including glucose concentrations as well as diabetic status provides quantitative information on cardiovascular risk prediction.

Adult↗

Population-based stepwise screening for unrecognised Type 2 diabetes is ineffective in general practice despite reliable algorithms.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The yield of screening programmes for Type 2 diabetes in the existing healthcare setting might be lower than anticipated from tests of screening algorithms in data from epidemiological surveys. Our aims were to evaluate the reliability of the algorithms and the effectiveness of a proposed stepwise screening programme for Type 2 diabetes in general practice. METHODS: The screening programme had four steps: (i) mail-distributed self-administered risk-chart; (ii) screening tests: random blood glucose (RBG) and HbA(1)c; (iii) diagnostic procedure 1 for fasting blood glucose (FBG) (if RBG >/=5.5 mmol/l or HbA(1)c >/=6.1%); and (iv) OGTT as diagnostic procedure 2 (if 5.6</=FBG<6.1 mmol/l or HbA(1)c >/=6.1%). Abnormalities of glucose metabolism were classified according to the WHO 1999 criteria, based on capillary whole blood. The subjects were all patients between 40 and 69 years of age ( n=60,926) who were registered in 88 general practices and had not been previously diagnosed with diabetes. RESULTS: A total of 11,263 individuals had a high-risk risk-score and attended the screening consultation (step 1 test-positive). Of these, 30.1% needed diagnostic tests (step 2 test-positive) and 27.2% of these needed an OGTT (step 3 test-positive). The test-positive proportions were equal to the proportions obtained in data from a population-based survey from Step 2 onwards, and the algorithms were thus reliable. The identification rate was only 19% of all prevalent undiagnosed diabetes according to a recently published prevalence estimate. This was due to a large dropout rate among high-risk individuals prior to entry into the programme. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Population-based mail-distributed stepwise screening for Type 2 diabetes in general practice is ineffective, despite reliable screening algorithms, primarily because many high-risk individuals fail to participate.

Adult↗

Creating a pandemic of prediabetes: the proposed new diagnostic criteria for impaired fasting glycaemia.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: In November 2003 the American Diabetes Association expert committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus suggested a revision of the diagnostic criteria for IFG, lowering the diagnostic threshold from 6.1 to 5.6 mmol/l. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the consequences of this change with respect to: (i) the prevalence of IFG in five different countries; (ii) the concordance between IFG and IGT (classification of individuals); and (iii) the cardiovascular risk profile of these groups. Finally we discuss the likelihood that intervention for cardiovascular risk and prevention strategies developed for individuals with IGT are applicable to subjects with IFG. METHODS: The first part of the study is based on the population-based Danish Inter99 study, where 6265 individuals, aged 30 to 60 years and without previously diagnosed diabetes, underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. The second part is based on the DETECT-2 project, in which studies from China, India, France and USA were used to analyse the impact of the proposed revision of the diagnostic criteria in different ethnic groups. RESULTS: The proposed change in diagnostic criteria would increase the prevalence of IFG in Denmark from 11.8 to 37.6%. The proposed IFG category would identify 60.0% of all subjects with IGT compared to 29.2% with the old criteria, but among individuals with the new IFG category only 18.5% would also have IGT. Individuals with isolated IFG had lower insulin levels and a lower cardiovascular risk profile with the proposed criteria compared with the current WHO criteria. Data from the DETECT-2 study confirmed the marked increase in the prevalence of IFG, and the estimated number of individuals in the age range 40 to 64 years with IFG in urban India, urban China and the USA would increase by 78%, 135% and 193% respectively. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The proposed revised diagnostic criteria will lead to a dramatic increase in the prevalence of IFG, but the concordance rate between IFG and IGT remains low. This new IFG group will have a more favourable cardiovascular risk profile than the current IFG group as defined by the WHO. This seriously questions whether the existing intervention strategies are applicable to the new category of individuals with IFG.

Adult↗

Large-scale studies of the functional K variant of the butyrylcholinesterase gene in relation to Type 2 diabetes and insulin secretion.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Polymorphisms of the butyrylcholinesterase gene (BCHE) are reported to associate with Alzheimer's disease and a recent study found a significant association of the BCHE K variant (G1615A/Ala539Thr) with Type 2 diabetes. The objectives of our study were to examine whether the BCHE K variant is associated with Type 2 diabetes or estimates of pancreatic beta cell function in large-scale populations of glucose-tolerant Caucasians. METHODS: The variant was genotyped in association studies comprising a total of 1408 Type 2 diabetic patients and 4935 glucose-tolerant control subjects. Genotype-phenotype studies were carried out in the 4935 glucose-tolerant control subjects. RESULTS: There was no difference in allele frequency between Type 2 diabetic patients and control subjects (20.3% [95% confidence interval: 18.8-21.8] vs 20.4% [19.6-21.2], non-significant). In the genotype-phenotype studies we found no consistent association with BMI, fasting or post-OGTT plasma glucose, serum insulin or serum C-peptide levels. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The present study does not support the suggestion that the BCHE K polymorphism is associated with Type 2 diabetes or with estimates of pancreatic beta cell function in large-scale Danish Caucasian populations.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Mutation analysis of suppressor of cytokine signalling 3, a candidate gene in Type 1 diabetes and insulin sensitivity.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Beta cell loss in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus may result from apoptosis and necrosis induced by inflammatory mediators. The suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS)-3 is a natural inhibitor of cytokine signalling and also influences insulin signalling. SOCS3 could therefore be a candidate gene in the development of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Mutation analysis of the SOCS3 gene was performed in 21 patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus and in seven healthy subjects. An identified promoter variant was examined in (i) 250 families with Type 1 diabetic family members (1097 individuals); (ii) 212 glucose-tolerant first-degree relatives of Type 2 diabetic patients; and (iii) 370 population-based young, healthy subjects who were unrelated. RESULTS: Three mutations were identified in the promoter region, but none in the coding region or the 3'UTR. Two of the three mutations had allele frequencies below 1% whereas the C -920-->A substitution had a minor allele frequency of 8%. In the group of young healthy subjects the insulin sensitivity index was higher among homozygous carriers of the A-allele than among heterozygous and wild-type subjects ( p=0.027, uncorrected). The same trend was found in the group of first-degree relatives of Type 2 diabetic patients. No association or linkage was found to Type 1 diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Homozygosity for the A-allele of the C -920-->A promoter polymorphism of the SOCS3 gene may be associated with increased whole-body insulin sensitivity, but deserves further investigation.

Adolescent↗

Large-scale studies of the HphI insulin gene variable-number-of-tandem-repeats polymorphism in relation to Type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin release.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The class III allele of the variable-number-of-tandem-repeats polymorphism located 5' of the insulin gene (INS-VNTR) has been associated with Type 2 diabetes and altered birthweight. It has also been suggested, although inconsistently, that the class III allele plays a role in glucose-induced insulin response among NGT individuals. METHODS: We investigated the impact of the class III allele on Type 2 diabetes susceptibility in a case-control study involving 1462 Type 2 diabetic patients and 4931 NGT subjects. We also examined the potential impact of the class III allele in genotype-quantitative trait studies in three Danish study populations containing (i) 358 young healthy subjects; (ii) 4444 middle-aged NGT subjects, 490 subjects with IFG and 678 subjects with IGT; and (iii) 221 NGT subjects, of whom one parent had Type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: There was no difference in frequency of the class III allele or in genotype distribution between the 1462 Type 2 diabetic patients and the 4931 NGT subjects. Among the 358 young subjects the class III/III carriers had significantly reduced post-IVGTT acute serum insulin and C-peptide responses (p=0.04 and 0.03 respectively). However, among the 4444 middle-aged subjects we failed to demonstrate any association between the class III allele and post-OGTT serum insulin and C-peptide levels. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The class III allele of the INS-VNTR does not confer susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes or consistent alterations in glucose-induced insulin release in the examined populations, which consisted of Danish Caucasians.

Adult↗

Serum lipids of Greenland Inuit in relation to Inuit genetic heritage, westernisation and migration.

BACKGROUND: The reputed low prevalence of cardiovascular disease among the Inuit has recently been challenged. Studies have shown total cholesterol among the Inuit to differ little from that of western populations and the association between cholesterol and atherosclerosis to be inconsistent. METHODS: We studied serum lipids in a population survey among 2114 Inuit living in Denmark or in West Greenland. Blood tests were supplemented by structured interviews, anthropometry and measurements of blood pressure. FINDINGS: Compared with the general population of Denmark, total cholesterol was higher among Inuit women, while HDL-cholesterol was higher among Inuit men. Triglyceride was lower among Inuit of both sexes. Cholesterol and triglyceride varied according to westernisation, diet, alcohol consumption and smoking. In a multivariate analysis, serum lipids also differed significantly between pure and genetically mixed Inuit: HDL-cholesterol was higher among the genetically pure Inuit, while among men triglyceride was lower and among women total and LDL-cholesterol were higher. INTERPRETATION: Among the Inuit, serum lipids are significantly associated with westernisation and genetic heritage. The effect of westernisation is to some extent due to dietary changes. From a cardiovascular health point of view, westernisation within Greenland is associated with unfavourable lipid changes while migration to Denmark is associated with favourable lipid changes.

Adolescent↗

Targeted screening for undiagnosed diabetes reduces the number of diagnostic tests. Inter99(8).

AIMS: To determine the cost and performance of a Danish risk score, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and HbA1c as single screening tests and in combination with targeted screening. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In the Inter99 study, 12 934 inhabitants of Copenhagen County were invited to participate. All participants underwent anthropometric measurements, blood samples, and a 75-g standardized oral glucose tolerance test [N = 6784 (52.5%)]. RESULTS: Of the 6117 individuals included in the analysis, 252 (4.1%) had previously undiagnosed diabetes. As a stand-alone test, the FPG had the highest performance expressed by a significantly higher area under the receiver-operating curve [0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86, 0.99] compared with the Danish risk score (0.78; 95% CI 0.76, 0.81) and HbA1c (0.76; 95% CI 0.72, 0.80). Targeted screening where the initial test was a risk score reduced the FPG measurements by 72% (100% vs. 27.8%). Using FPG in population-based screening, the cost per newly diagnosed diabetic individual was 583 euro compared with 270 euro if screened by questionnaire followed by FPG. The sensitivity and specificity were 78.6% and 87.7% for FPG, and 61.5% and 89.2% for the combination of the questionnaire and FPG, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of FPG was superior to a questionnaire and HbA1c used as single tests. However taking into account workload, the burden on the population and the cost per identified person with undiagnosed diabetes, targeted screening using a questionnaire followed by FPG appears to be the strategy of choice.

Blood Glucose↗

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among the Inuit in Greenland. A comparison between two proposed definitions.

AIMS: To estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among Greenland Inuit according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition and the definition suggested by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). METHODS: From 1999 to 2001, 917 adult Inuit participated in a health survey in Greenland. The examination included a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and blood pressure were measured. Plasma glucose, serum insulin, lipids and urine albumin/creatinine ratio were measured. The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the WHO criteria 1999 and to the working definition suggested by the NCEP 2001. RESULTS: Using the WHO and the NCEP criteria, 20.7% and 17.9% of the participants had the metabolic syndrome, respectively. There was a moderate agreement between the two definitions, kappa = 0.56 (95% CI 0.51-0.61). Of those with the WHO metabolic syndrome, 37.9% did not have the NCEP syndrome, and 28.5% of those with the NCEP syndrome were not classified with the metabolic syndrome under the WHO criteria. Compared with the WHO syndrome, men with the NCEP syndrome had higher mean values of waist circumference, BMI and triglycerides, and lower mean values of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol; among women, triglycerides were higher with the NCEP syndrome. CONCLUSION: The metabolic syndrome is common among Inuit using either the WHO definition or the proposed NCEP definition. The classification disagreement is considerable and a universally accepted definition is needed.

Adult↗

Studies of the Ala/Val98 polymorphism of the hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha gene and the relationship to beta-cell function during an OGTT in glucose-tolerant women with and without previous gestational diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: In pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) an increased demand for insulin is not met due to beta-cell dysfunction. An Ala/Val polymorphism at codon 98 of the hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha (HNF-1alpha) gene has been associated with decreased serum insulin and C-peptide responses during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in glucose-tolerant subjects. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the influence of the polymorphism on the serum insulin and C-peptide responses to an OGTT in glucose-tolerant women with and without previous GDM and to investigate if this polymorphism is associated with GDM. METHODS: The Ala/Val98 polymorphism was measured in 376 women of Danish origin with previous GDM, and in 724 age-matched and 310 middle-aged glucose tolerant women using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS: The allelic frequency of the Ala/Val98 polymorphism was 0.043 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.028, 0.057] in women with previous GDM vs. 0.037 (95% CI 0.028, 0.047) in age-matched and 0.039 (95% CI 0.024, 0.054) in middle-age women. Among 117 glucose-tolerant women with previous GDM, 10 carriers of the Ala/Val98 polymorphism had a non-significant 27% and 22% reduction in serum C-peptide and insulin levels, respectively, at 30 min during an OGTT. Seventy-eight control subjects carrying the Ala/Val98 polymorphism had a 10% (P = 0.001) and 16% (P = 0.004) reduction in serum C-peptide and insulin levels, respectively, compared with 956 Ala/Ala control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The Ala/Val polymorphism at codon98 of HNF-1alpha is not associated with GDM in Danish women. However, the codon 98 variant is associated with a significant impairment of serum insulin and C-peptide responses during an OGTT in glucose-tolerant women without previous GDM.

Adult↗

The FOXC2 -512C>T variant is associated with hypertriglyceridaemia and increased serum C-peptide in Danish Caucasian glucose-tolerant subjects.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The transcription factor FOXC2 plays a key role in adipocyte differentiation and the FOXC2 gene is a candidate gene for Type 2 diabetes, obesity and dyslipidaemia. We investigated whether the FOXC2 -512C>T promoter variant is associated with Type 2 diabetes or its intermediary phenotypes in glucose tolerant subjects. METHODS: The variant was genotyped using PCR-RFLP in 705 unrelated Type 2 diabetic patients, 505 unrelated glucose-tolerant control subjects and 219 glucose-tolerant offspring of Type 2 diabetic probands. RESULTS: The frequency of the T-allele was 58% (95% CI 56-61%) and 59% (56-62%) among the Type 2 diabetic patients and the unrelated glucose-tolerant control subjects, respectively ( p=0.6). Among the glucose-tolerant subjects, the T-allele carriers had higher fasting serum triglyceride ( p=0.03), fasting serum C-peptide concentrations ( p=0.009) and insulinogenic index ( p=0.04). Furthermore, in glucose-tolerant women, the waist-to-hip ratio was significantly higher in carriers of the T-allele. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Our data suggest that the FOXC2 -512C>T variant is not associated with Type 2 diabetes. However, among glucose-tolerant subjects the variant is associated with hypertriglyceridaemia and increased fasting serum C-peptide.

Base Sequence↗