Coffee consumption, genetic susceptibility and risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults: A population-based case-control study.

AIM: Coffee consumption is inversely related to risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In contrast, an increased risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) has been reported in heavy coffee consumers, primarily in a subgroup with stronger autoimmune characteristics. Our study aimed to investigate whether coffee consumption interacts with HLA genotypes in relation to risk of LADA. METHODS: This population-based study comprised incident cases of LADA (n=484) and T2D (n=1609), and also 885 healthy controls. Information on coffee consumption was collected by food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs of diabetes were calculated and adjusted for age, gender, BMI, education level, smoking and alcohol intake. Potential interactions between coffee consumption and high-risk HLA genotypes were calculated by attributable proportion (AP) due to interaction. RESULTS: Coffee intake was positively associated with LADA in carriers of high-risk HLA genotypes (OR: 1.14 per cup/day, 95% CI: 1.02-1.28), whereas no association was observed in non-carriers (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.93-1.17). Subjects with both heavy coffee consumption (≥4 cups/day) and high-risk HLA genotypes had an OR of 5.74 (95% CI: 3.34-9.88) with an estimated AP of 0.36 (95% CI: 0.01-0.71; P=0.04370). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that coffee consumption interacts with HLA to promote LADA.

Family history of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).

BACKGROUND: A family history of diabetes (FHD) is a strong predictor of diabetes risk, yet has rarely been investigated in latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). This study therefore investigated the risk of LADA and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in relation to FHD, taking into account the type of diabetes in relatives. METHODS: Data from a population-based study were used, including incident cases of LADA [glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GADA)-positive, n=378] and T2D (GADA-negative, n=1199), and their matched controls (n=1484). First-degree relatives with disease onset at age<40 years and taking insulin treatment were classified as type 1 diabetes (T1D) or, if otherwise, as T2D. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for age, gender, BMI, education and smoking. Cases were genotyped for high- and low-risk HLA genotypes. RESULTS: Both FHD-T1D (OR: 5.8; 95% CI: 3.2-10.3) and FHD-T2D (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.5-2.5) were associated with an increased risk of LADA, whereas the risk of T2D was associated with FHD-T2D (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 2.2-3.3), but not FHD-T1D. In LADA patients, FHD-T1D vs FHD-T2D was associated with higher GADA but lower C-peptide levels, lower prevalence of low-risk HLA genotypes (5.0% vs 28.6%, respectively; P=0.038) and a tendency for higher prevalence of high-risk genotypes (90.0% vs 69.1%, respectively; P=0.0576). CONCLUSION: The risk of LADA is substantially increased with FHD-T1D but also, albeit significantly less so, with FHD-T2D. This supports the idea of LADA as a mix of both T1D and T2D, but suggests that the genes related to T1D have greater impact. LADA patients with FHD-T1D had more T1D-like features, emphasizing the heterogeneity of LADA.

Serious life events and the risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and Type 2 diabetes.

AIM: It has been suggested that experiencing serious life events may promote Type 1 diabetes in children. Studies in adults are lacking, as are studies on the interaction of life events with genetic factors. We aimed to investigate life events and the risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and Type 2 diabetes while taking into account HLA genotype. METHODS: Analysis was based on 425 incident cases of LADA, 1417 incident cases of Type 2 diabetes and 1702 population-based controls recruited in Sweden between 2010 and 2016. Self-reported information on life events including conflicts, divorce, illness/accidents, death and financial problems experienced during the 5 years preceding diagnosis/index year was used. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated by logistic regression and adjusted for age, sex, BMI, family history of diabetes, smoking, physical activity and education. RESULTS: Overall there was no association between experience of any life event and either LADA (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.68-1.08) or Type 2 diabetes (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.83-1.21). The results were similar for individual events as well as in separate analysis of men and women. Similar results were seen in more autoimmune LADA (glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies > median) [OR (any life event) 0.88, 95% CI 0.64-1.21] and in LADA carriers of the high-risk HLADR4-DQ8 genotype (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.61-1.29). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that experience of a serious life event, including the death of a family member, divorce or financial problems, is not associated with an increased risk of LADA, overall or in genetically susceptible individuals.

Use of Swedish smokeless tobacco (snus) and the risk of Type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood (LADA).

AIMS: It has been suggested that moist snuff (snus), a smokeless tobacco product that is high in nicotine and widespread in Scandinavia, increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Previous studies are however few, contradictory and, with regard to autoimmune diabetes, lacking. Our aim was to study the association between snus use and the risk of Type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood (LADA). METHOD: Analyses were based on incident cases (Type 2 diabetes, n = 724; LADA, n = 200) and population-based controls (n = 699) from a Swedish case-control study. Additional analyses were performed on cross-sectional data from the Norwegian HUNT study (n = 21 473) with 829 prevalent cases of Type 2 diabetes. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated adjusted for age, BMI family history of diabetes and smoking. Only men were included. RESULTS: No association between snus use and Type 2 diabetes or LADA was seen in the Swedish data. For Type 2 diabetes, the OR for > 10 box-years was 1.00 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.47 to 2.11] and for LADA 1.01 (95% CI, 0.45 to 2.29). Similarly, in HUNT, the OR for Type 2 diabetes in ever-users was estimated at 0.91 (95% CI, 0.75 to 1.10) and in heavy users at 0.92 (95% CI, 0.46 to 1.83). CONCLUSION: The risk of Type 2 diabetes and LADA is unrelated to the use of snus, despite its high nicotine content. This opens the possibility of the increased risk of Type 2 diabetes seen in smokers may not be attributed to nicotine, but to other substances in tobacco smoke.

The architecture of the middle ear in the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes Javanicus).

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) is native to the Middle East, Iran and much of southern Asia. For this study the middle ears of a total of 6 adult small Indian mongooses, both fresh and museum samples were explored by using of dissection and plain radiography. On the one hand, at least in some species of the mongoose vocalisations and hearings play a critical role in coordinating behaviours. On the other hand, the ear region has provided useful character relevant for mammalian phylogeny. So, the aim of the present study is a brief discussion of the various anatomic particularities of the middle ear based on a combination of existing data and the results of the authors' study in the small Indian mongoose.

Coffee consumption and the risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults--results from a Swedish case-control study.

AIMS: Coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes. Our aim was to investigate if coffee intake may also reduce the risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, an autoimmune form of diabetes with features of Type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We used data from a population-based case-control study with incident cases of adult onset (≥ 35 years) diabetes, including 245 cases of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody positive), 759 cases of Type 2 diabetes (glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody negative), together with 990 control subjects without diabetes, randomly selected from the population. Using questionnaire information on coffee consumption, we estimated the odds ratio of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults and Type 2 diabetes adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking, physical activity, alcohol, education and family history of diabetes. RESULTS: Coffee intake was inversely associated with Type 2 diabetes (odds ratio 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.98 per cup/day). With regard to latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, the general trend was weak (odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 0.96-1.13), but stratification by degree of autoimmunity (median glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody levels) suggested that coffee intake may be associated with an increased risk of high glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (odds ratio 1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.23 per cup/day). Furthermore, for every additional cup of coffee consumed per day, there was a 15.2% (P = 0.0268) increase in glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, the findings suggest that coffee may be associated with development of autoimmunity and possibly an increased risk of more Type 1-like latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.

A detailed systematic anatomical study of monocephalic conjoined symmetric twin lambs.

A case of conjoined twins with monocephalus, thoracopagus, partial abdominopagus, tetrabrachius and tetrascelus in lambs complicated with several defects of skeletal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and urogenital systems is reported. The twins were dead and delivered by cesarean section. This case report highlights the detailed anatomical study of defects in different systems due to an abnormal birth defect.

Alcohol consumption is associated with reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes and autoimmune diabetes in adults: results from the Nord-Trøndelag health study.

AIMS: We investigated the influence of different aspects of alcohol consumption on the risk of Type 2 diabetes and autoimmune diabetes in adults. METHODS: We used data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey (HUNT) study, in which all adults aged ≥ 20 years from Nord-Trondelag County were invited to participate in three surveys in 1984-1986, 1995-1997 and 2006-2008. Patients with diabetes were identified using self-reports, and participants with onset age ≥ 35 years were classified as having Type 2 diabetes if they were negative for anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (n = 1841) and as having autoimmune diabetes if they were positive for anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (n = 140). Hazard ratios of amount and frequency of alcohol use, alcoholic beverage choice, and binge drinking and alcohol use disorders were estimated. RESULTS: Moderate alcohol consumption (adjusted for confounders) was associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes in men, but not in women (hazard ratio for men 10-15 g/day 0.48, 95% CI 0.28-0.77; hazard ratio for women ≥ 10 g/day 0.81, 95% CI 0.33-1.96). The reduced risk was primarily linked to consumption of wine [hazard ratio 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.99 (per g/day)]. No increased risk was seen in participants reporting binge drinking or in problem drinkers. The results were also compatible with a reduced risk of autoimmune diabetes associated with alcohol consumption [hazard ratio 0.70, 95% CI 0.45-1.08 (frequent consumption) and hazard ratio 0.36, 95% CI 0.13-0.97 (2-7 g/day)]. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate alcohol consumption associates with reduced risk of both Type 2 diabetes and autoimmune diabetes. A protective effect of alcohol intake may be limited to men. High alcohol consumption does not seem to carry an increased risk of diabetes.