Polymorphisms in the gene encoding hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in a Polish population.

Recently, several association studies of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-4alpha gene were reported with conflicting results. Our aim was to search for association between two polymorphisms of HNF-4alpha and T2DM in Polish Caucasians. The study groups comprised of 461 T2DM cases and 366 controls. Genotype-quantitative trait analyses were based on the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), glucose and insulin results, and comprised 310 glucose-tolerant subjects. All individuals were genotyped for two HNF-4alpha polymorphisms. The frequencies of the minor alleles were as follows: 19.2% in T2DM vs. 17.6% in controls for rs2144908; and 20.6% vs. 20.1% for rs4810424, respectively. The distributions of alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes of the HNF-4alpha polymorphisms did not differ between the study groups (lowest P = 0.41). None of the examined SNPs showed an association in control subjects with quantitative traits of fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, as well as plasma glucose and insulin 2 hours after glucose load in OGTT. We conclude that both examined polymorphisms in HNF-4alpha are not associated with T2DM and prediabetic phenotypes in Polish Caucasian study groups of this size.

Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and association with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Polish population.

Vitamin D plays an important role in insulin secretion. There is also evidence that this steroid may influence the insulin sensitivity. Thus genes involved in its metabolic pathway have been regarded as good candidates for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). One of them is vitamin D receptor gene (VDR). Its multiple polymorphisms have been examined for the association with T2DM in several populations. Those studies did not provide clear answers about the role of VDR in this disease. The aim of the study was to search for the association of FokI, ApaI, BsmI, and TaqI polymorphisms of VDR gene with T2DM in a Polish population using a case-control study design. Overall, 548 individuals were examined: 308 T2DM patients and 240 control individuals. The study groups were genotyped for VDR FokI, ApaI, BsmI, and TaqI variants using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. Since variants of ApaI, BsmI, and TaqI polymorphisms were in very strong linkage disequilibrium, three loci haplotypes could be assigned to phase-unknown individuals with a high degree of confidence. Differences in allele, genotype, haplotype, and haplotype combination distribution between the groups were examined by chi2 test. The VDR allele frequencies for T2DM patients and controls were as follows: FokI-F/f - 53.4 %/46.6 % vs. 55.2 %/44.8 %, BsmI-B/b - 34.4 %/65.6 % vs. 37.5 %/62.5 %, ApaI-A/a - 47.9 %/52.1 % vs 50.9 %/49.1 %, TaqI-T/t - 67.6 %/32.4 % vs. 62.7 %/37.3 %, respectively. There was no difference between the groups in allele frequency. Similarly, distribution of genotypes, three locus BsmI/ApaI/TaqI haplotypes and their combinations were similar in the groups. In conclusion, our study did not provide evidence for the association of four examined VDR polymorphisms with T2DM in a Polish population. We postulate that to fully determine whether the sequence differences in VDR gene are susceptibility variants for T2DM, additional studies in different populations are required in a large study group.

[Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia--clinical aspects]. / Insulinoopornosc i hiperinsulinemia--aspekty kliniczne.

A group of metabolic disorders including insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose tolerance, visceral obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, hypercoagulability and microalbuminuria determine the risk for the development of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and cerebral vascular disorders. Although available studies on the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome are equivocal, it is most frequently hypothesized that hereditary of insulin resistance leads to the remaining metabolic disorders including diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Despite pathogenetic controversies, there are convincing arguments for the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome and search for therapy improving insulin sensitivity and reducing hyperinsulinemia thus preventing the development of diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease.

[Insulin resistance and non-insulin dependent diabetes in the course of Werner's syndrome. Case report]. / Insulinoopornosc i cukrzyca insulinoniezalezna w przebiegu zespolu wernera. Przypadek kliniczny.

A case of Werner's syndrome has been reported. The patient presented with insulin resistance, non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and muscular atrophy.

[Corrected QT interval and diabetic neuropathy of the cardiovascular system]. / Skorygowany odstep QT a neuropatia cukrzycowa ukladu sercowo-naczyniowego.

UNLABELLED: Our objective was the analysis of the utility of the corrected QT interval (QTc) for the assessment of severity of cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Fourty nine patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus/IDDM/were enrolled in the study. Their ages ranged between 16 and 58 years, and the duration of IDDM ranged between 1 and 38 years. Patients were tested for cardiac autonomic neuropathy using ProSciCard system. We carried out four tests: resting pulse deep breathing pulse Ewing test Valsalva maneuver Our results showed the relationship between the QTc interval lengthening and the occurance of cardiac autonomic neuropathy. No correlation was found between the QTc interval and the extend of cardiac autonomic neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: The QTc interval measurement is a good routine test for the diagnosis of cardiac autonomic neuropathy. The corrected QT interval is not a reliable indicator of the extend of cardiac autonomic neuropathy.

[Regional conditions of the smoking habit-- the POL-MONICA 1984 studies]. / Regionalne uwarunkowania nalogu palenia papierosów. Badanie POL-MONICA 1984.

The POL-MONICA Project screened in 1984 1309 men and 1337 women aged 35 to 64 years, inhabitants of Warsaw (the Warsaw centre) and 1250 men and 1472 women aged 35 to 64 years, inhabitants of the Tarnobrzeg province (the Cracow centre). In both environments the percentage of smoking men was similar (about 57%). Women from big city environment smoked three times more frequently (33.1%) than in the agricultural areas (10.7%). The smoking intensity was higher in the agricultural areas both among men and women. It has been stated that smoking habit depends on such social or demographic patterns as age, sex, civil state, education, physical activity related to work. Smoking influenced significantly the level of such risk factors as systolic arterial blood pressure, the fat body content in both men and women, and the HDL-cholesterol in women from both environments.