Coffee and metabolic phenotypes: A cross-sectional analysis of the Japan multi-institutional collaborative cohort (J-MICC) study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To date, the relationship between coffee consumption and metabolic phenotypes has hardly been investigated and remains controversial. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the associations between coffee consumption and metabolic phenotypes in a Japanese population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed the data of 26,363 subjects (aged 35-69 years) in the baseline survey of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study. Coffee consumption was assessed using a questionnaire. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) was defined according to the Joint Interim Statement Criteria of 2009, using body mass index (BMI) instead of waist circumference. Subjects stratified by the presence or absence of obesity (normal weight: BMI <25 kg/m2; obesity: BMI ≥25 kg/m2) were classified by the number of MetS components (metabolically healthy: no components; metabolically unhealthy: one or more components) other than BMI. In multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for sex, age, and other potential confounders, high coffee consumption (≥3 cups/day) was associated with a lower prevalence of MetS and metabolically unhealthy phenotypes both in normal weight (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.90) and obese subjects (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.69-0.99). Filtered/instant coffee consumption was inversely associated with the prevalence of MetS and metabolically unhealthy phenotypes, whereas canned/bottled/packed coffee consumption was not. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that high coffee consumption, particularly filtered/instant coffee, is inversely associated with the prevalence of metabolically unhealthy phenotypes in both normal weight and obese Japanese adults.

A genome-wide association study in the Japanese population identifies the 12q24 locus for habitual coffee consumption: The J-MICC Study.

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, and its role in human health has received much attention. Although genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have investigated genetic variants associated with coffee consumption in European populations, no such study has yet been conducted in an Asian population. Here, we conducted a GWAS to identify common genetic variations that affected coffee consumption in a Japanese population of 11,261 participants recruited as a part of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) study. Coffee consumption was collected using a self-administered questionnaire, and converted from categories to cups/day. In the discovery stage (n = 6,312), we found 2 independent loci (12q24.12-13 and 5q33.3) that met suggestive significance (P < 1 × 10-6). In the replication stage (n = 4,949), the lead variant for the 12q24.12-13 locus (rs2074356) was significantly associated with habitual coffee consumption (P = 2.2 × 10-6), whereas the lead variant for the 5q33.3 locus (rs1957553) was not (P = 0.53). A meta-analysis of the discovery and replication populations, and the combined analysis using all subjects, revealed that rs2074356 achieved genome-wide significance (P = 2.2 × 10-16 for a meta-analysis). These findings indicate that the 12q24.12-13 locus is associated with coffee consumption among a Japanese population.

Inverse correlation between coffee consumption and prevalence of metabolic syndrome: baseline survey of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study in Tokushima, Japan.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether consumption of coffee and green tea is associated with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 554 adults who had participated in the baseline survey of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Consumption of coffee and green tea was assessed using a questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) and the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (JASSO). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between consumption of coffee and green tea and prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components. RESULTS: After adjustment for sex, age, and other potential confounders, greater coffee consumption was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome, as defined by NCEP ATP III criteria (P for trend = 0.03). Participants who drank more coffee had a lower odds ratio (OR) for high serum triglycerides (P for trend = 0.02), but not for increased waist circumference or high blood pressure. Using JASSO criteria, moderate coffee consumption (1.5 to <3 cups/day) was associated with a significantly lower OR for high plasma glucose (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.28-0.93). Green tea consumption was not associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome or any of its components. CONCLUSIONS: Coffee consumption was inversely correlated with metabolic syndrome diagnosed using NCEP ATP III criteria, mainly because it was associated with lower serum triglyceride levels. This association highlights the need for further prospective studies of the causality of these relationships.

Circulating osteoprotegerin is associated with age and systolic blood pressure, but not with lipid profile or fasting glucose, in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: Osteoprotegerin (OPG), an inhibitor of osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast activation, has been reported to be linked to vascular biology. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships between circulating OPG and the risk factors for vascular disorders in postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Eighty Japanese postmenopausal women were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Clinical parameters (age, number of years since menopause, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure); serum concentrations of OPG, creatinine, calcium, and phosphorus; serum lipid profile; plasma glucose; and bone mineral density of the L2-4 vertebral bodies were determined for each woman. RESULTS: In rank-order correlation analysis, serum OPG concentrations had significant positive correlations with age (r = 0.29, P = 0.03), systolic blood pressure (r = 0.45, P < 0.01), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.34, P < 0.01), and serum creatinine (r = 0.29, P = 0.04). Serum OPG concentration also had a marginally significant negative correlation with bone mineral density of the L2-4 vertebral bodies (r = -0.25, P = 0.06). However, serum OPG did not correlate with body mass index, serum lipid profile, or plasma glucose. The correlation of serum OPG with systolic blood pressure persisted after adjustment for both age and serum creatinine. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that increased circulating OPG in postmenopausal women is closely related to higher systolic blood pressure, which could cause atherosclerosis.

[Introduction of proteomic approach to environmental medicine].

Recent progress in life science technology and the availability of much information on genes obtained by genome analysis has enabled us to analyze the changes of proteins on a large scale. Sets of proteins are called proteomes, and proteomics is the scientific field of proteome analysis including differential, post translational modification and interaction analyses. Various proteomic techniques, particularly two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), mass spectrometry, protein chip methods, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), are very useful for acquiring proteomes in cells, tissues and body fluid, and for analyzing interactions between a protein and other biofactors including proteins. A proteomic approach is also useful for determining biomarkers of diseases and key proteins involved in various stages of metabolism such as differentiation, cell cycle and apoptosis. Environmental pollutants including endocrine disruptors inhibit activities of various organs in wild animals and humans. Proteomic approaches could be very useful tools for elucidating the mechanisms of damage caused by environmental pollutants. In this review, we describe the application of a proteomic approach to the field of environmental medicine.