Tracing the response of subcutaneous fat accumulation in two generations of males

The present study included 414 adolescent boys aged 11-17 years and their fathers who volunteered as subjects. All the subjects belonged to Punjabi speaking Khatri, an endogamous urban population residing in Delhi, India. A set of five skinfold thicknesses: biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac and medial calf along with body weight and stature were taken on all the subjects to report the pattern of subcutaneous fat distribution and responsiveness of different skinfold sites to fat deposition with variation in total body fat content. It has been noticed that 16- and 17-year-old sons assumed the pattern of subcutaneous fat distribution of their fathers, which was in favour of trunkal fat. Responsiveness of the five skinfold sites towards deposition of fat varied from site to site in various age groups with suprailiac skinfold sites found to be the most responsive followed by subscapular site. The sensitivity of skinfold sites to fat deposition with increase in weight was found to be greater in middle aged men (fathers) than growing boys (adolescent sons).     

Influence of maternal obesity on subcutaneous fat in the newborn.

Skinfold thickness measurements were made at biceps, triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac sites on both sides on 265 full-term newborn infants. The mothers were classified as thin (25), normal (179), or obese (61) on the basis of their triceps skinfold thicknesses. At all skinfold sites the babies of the obese mothers were significantly fatter than the babies of normal mothers, and the babies of the normal mothers were significantly fatter than those of the thin mothers. There was a highly significant positive correlation between maternal triceps thickness and the baby''s sum of skinfold thicknesses. Hypertension was common during the pregnancies of the obese mothers and was associated with a significant reduction in the babies'' skinfold thicknesses. When each of the 61 obese mothers were matched for parity, blood pressure, and smoking habit with 61 non-obese mothers the babies of the obese mothers still had significantly greater skinfold thicknesses than the babies of non-obese mothers.     

Major Gene Influence on the Propensity to Store Fat in Trunk Versus Extremity Depots: Evidence From the Québec Family Study

Regional fat distribution is related to higher risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, independent of general obesity. In particular, a centralized pattern of fat deposition, characterized by greater abdominal stores relative to extremity stores, is associated with a higher propensity to metabolic complications. Motivated by these considerations, we have initiated a systematic investigation of several measures of regional fat distribution aimed at the identification of possible major gene effects. Two measures approximate the size of subcutaneous fat stores: the sum of six skinfold thicknesses (SF6 = abdominal + suprailiac + subscapular + calf + triceps-+ biceps), and the sum of three trunk skinfold thicknesses (TSF3 = abdominal + suprailiac + subscapular). Both of these phenotypes are highly correlated with total fat mass, 0. 83 and 0.78 for SF6 and TSF3, respectively. The trunk to extremity ratio [TER = TSF3 / (calf + triceps + biceps)] is perhaps the most important of these phenotypes insofar as it is an index of centralized obesity; it is modestly correlated with fat mass (r = 0.18). Each of these phenotypes was adjusted for total fat mass by regression prior to analysis so that we could examine genetic effects on these measures of regional fat distribution without the confounding influence of the determinants of fat mass itself. Segregation analysis of SF6 and TSF3 controlled for total fat mass suggests the presence of a major effect underlying the observed phenotypic distribution; however, tests on the transmission probabilities did not substantiate the segregation of a Mendelian gene. Despite the sexual dimorphism in the expression of the TER, the distribution of age-, generation-, sex-, and fat mass-adjusted TER was not significantly heterogeneous comparing males to females. Consistent evidence of a recessive major gene determinant was obtained, accounting for 37% of the phenotypic variance with the frequency of the gene leading to high values of the TER being 0.35. This finding suggests that further studies to investigate the role of specific candidate genes are warranted.     

安徽汉族成人皮褶厚度的研究

应用人体测量法对安徽滁州地区汉族694例(城市男性152例,城市女性158例,乡村男性201例,乡村女性183例)成年人进行6项皮褶(面颊、肱二头肌、肱三头肌、肩胛下、髂前上棘、小腿内侧)厚度的测量,分析了安徽汉族成人皮褶厚度值随年龄变化的特点,并与我国部分族群的皮褶厚度值进行比较。研究显示:1)安徽汉族成人皮褶发育躯干部优于四肢,背部优于腹部,面部居中,肱二头肌皮褶最薄。2)6项皮褶厚度值在性别间存在显著性差异。同年龄组比较,女性皮褶厚度值均高于男性。3)6项皮褶厚度多与年龄呈正相关。4)城乡比较,城市女性皮褶发育明显低于乡村女性,而城市男性皮褶发育多优于乡村男性。安徽汉族男、女性皮褶厚度具有蒙古人种北亚类型族群特点。     

Fatness and fat patterning in relation to age changes and menarche

The present study assesses changes with age in fatness and fat patterning in a cross-sectional sample of Spanish schoolgirls from 6 to 16 years of age living in an urban area (Madrid). Arm muscle area and arm fat area were derived from middle-upper arm anthropometry. Body mass index (weight/height²) and the sum of the skinfold thicknesses at three sites (triceps, subscapular and suprailiac) were computed as indices of adiposity; and two indices of subcutaneous fat distribution were also defined: the natural logarithms of subscapular/triceps and suprailiac/triceps skinfold thickness ratios. Changes with age in these variables are described, including some pattern changes found in amount of fatness as well as in fat distribution at pubescence. At this time, there is a plateau in fat deposition, and even a fat loss the average (at triceps site). Prior to pubescence, subcutaneous fat distribution changes from «pheripheral» to a more generalized pattern, but no well-defined pattern of change is found after the onset of menarche. Furthermore, the effect of the onset of puberty on all these variables is analyzed.     

Body fat in urban and rural male college students of Eastern India

Male college students (N = 381) residing in several districts of Eastern India, classified into two groups, urban (N = 193) and rural (N = 188), were studied by anthropometric measurements of skinfold thicknesses in several sites of the body to determine their body fat content. The mean value of percentage of body fat was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the urban group of students (12.07 ± 3.04) than in the rurals (11.04 ± 2.63). The mean values of skinfold thicknesses of the biceps, triceps, and subscapular regions were also found to be higher in urbans (P < 0.01), but no such significant differences in mean values of supra-iliac and abdominal skinfolds were found between the two groups of students. Most of the subjects of both the groups had a greater thickness of the abdominal skinfold compared to thickness of the biceps, triceps, and suprailiac skinfolds. It was found that the college students of Eastern India were leaner than the youths of North America, Europe, Japan, and Northern India.     

达斡尔族成人的皮褶厚度及其年龄变化

测量了456例（男216,女240例）达斡尔族成人的4项皮褶（三头肌皮褶、肩胛下皮褶、髂前上棘皮褶与腓肠肌皮褶）厚度值,分析了达斡尔族成人皮褶厚度随年龄变化的特征。研究表明：（1）男性躯干皮下脂肪厚于四肢。女性肩胛下皮褶最厚,三头肌皮褶次之。（2）女性4项皮褶厚度值高于男性。（3）男性30—44岁皮下脂肪较厚,45岁以后皮褶厚度下降。女性50岁以后肩胛下皮褶值明显下降,其余3项值在40岁以后下降。（4）男性全身皮褶厚度值多呈正相关。女性这种现象不明显。（5）达斡尔族成人皮下脂肪发育逊于北京、大连城市中的汉族,但优于宁夏农村的回族。     

Subcutaneous adiposity and relative fat patterning in adult white and migrant asian males in Britain

A comparative study of subcutaneous adiposity and relative fat patterning in adult White (n=262) and migrant Indian (n=39) and Pakistani (n=100) males living in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire revealed no significant difference in the level of generalised adiposity (measured as body mass index) between the ethnic groups. However, Asians had significantly higher means for all five truncal skinfolds; for all upper body: upper extremity, upper body: lower extremity, central body: upper extremity and central body: lower extremity skinfold rations; more total subcutaneous adiposity; and significantly more subcutaneous fat in subscapular, suprailiac and abdomen regions relative to total subcutaneous fat. However, Asian men had significantly less subcutaneous fat in all the extremity sites relative to total subcutaneous adiposity and lower mean forearm subcutaneous adiposity. Discriminant analysis revealed that 80.6% of all individuals were correctly classfied, with Whites being grouped more correctly than Asians. Suprailiac/forearm and suprailiac/triceps skinfold ratios, height, weight, age, body mass index, and subscapular, midauxillary, chest and medial calf skinfolds were among the most important discriminating variables/ratios of the three ethnic groups.     

达斡尔族学生皮下脂肪发育的研究

作者内蒙古莫力达瓦达斡尔族自治旗１７５９例中小学生项项皮褶厚度及体脂发育情况进行了调查研究。结果表明：（１）达斡尔族学生进入青春期后,随着年龄的增长,男性躯干部皮变厚,四肢部皮褶变薄,女性躯干、四肢部皮褶均增厚。（２）１２岁后,女性皮褶厚度显著大于男性。（３）青春发育早期,男性体脂逐渐有下降,女性于１２－１４岁体脂迅速增加。（４）总体说来,达斡尔族学生并不偏于肥胖。     

Parent-child correlation for various indices of adiposity in an endogamous Indian population

The study was conducted on 1,042 Punjabi adults and adolescent boys and girls (11-17 years) belonging to middle class families residing in Delhi, India. To study the relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on various fat measures, a set of 7 body measurements namely weight, stature and skinfold thickness at biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac and medial calf measurements was taken on each subject. There was a redistribution of fat away from extremity towards the trunk, a rapid occurring process in males than in females. Increase in body mass index (BMI) with age was more pronounced in females than in males, both at adolescence and adult stage. There was an increase in grand mean thickness (GMT) calculated as mean of all five skinfold thicknesses, in adolescent girls where as in adolescent boys it fluctuated with age. The trunk/extremity ratios reflected a trend in favor of increase in trunk fat, more marked in boys than in girls. The correlations were of low magnitude, however, some skin folds displayed relatively higher value of correlation indicating that these could be determinant of adult obesity.     

Prediction of body volume by a stepwise linear regression technique

Body volume and 35 anthropometric measurements were obtained from 88 active soldiers using standard techniques. These anthropometric measurements were examined for their possible relationships to body volume using stepwise linear regression analysis. Four measurements (Body weight, anterior thigh skinfold thickness, subscapular skinfold thickness and suprailiac skinfold thickness) accounted for 99.7% of the variation in body volume and the introduction of each of these measurements in the equation was significant. The regression equation for predicting body volume from these 4 anthropometric measurements had a multiple correlation coefficient of 0.9987 (P less than 0.001). Body weight alone was correlated with body volume to the extent of 0.9966. An attempt has therefore been made to develop a multiple linear regression equation without incorporation of body weight in the regression analysis. Nine measurements were selected by stepwise linear regression analysis for predicting body volume. These nine measurements accounted for 97.1% of the variation in body volume. These equations have been validated on another small sample of 22 soldiers. The analysis has also revealed that a direct regression of body density from the anthropometric variables gives more accurate results than when estimated body volumes are utilized for calculating body density.     

Comparisons of fatness indicators in Budapest children

The aim of this study was to estimate the fatness level of Budapest children and youth in different ways and to compare these estimations using a large representative sample. Eighteen body measurements were taken on 2606 healthy boys and 2471 healthy girls aged between 3 and 18 years. About 20% of this sample was measured by the Futrex 5000A near infrared (NIR) spectrophotometer to assess the body fat percent (data of 419 boys and 462 girls aged between 5 and 18 years were analysed). Triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), sum of triceps, medial calf, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses (SFS), body fat percent estimated according to Slaughter et al. (%BF), BMI (calculated from height and weight) and body fat percent assessed by NIR-method (NIR%BF) were compared. chi 2 tests of independence show significant connections among the distributions ranged by the five fatness indicators. However, correlation coefficients and standard errors indicate that strong relationships are only among the assessments based on skinfold thicknesses (r = 0.92-0.97, SEE = 1.8-2.6%). BMI and NIR%BF assess body fatness differently compared to skinfold thicknesses: r-values are moderate and SEE-values are relatively large (r = 0.59-0.87, SEE = 1.9-4.7%). These findings can be seen in both the boys and the girls. NIR%BF comparing to %BF significantly overpredicts body fat percent in the boys and significantly underpredicts it in the girls. BMI, height and weight are not in significant correlation with NIR%BF in the boys but there are moderate correlations in the girls. Our suggestion is that more research is needed with the use of NIR-method in children and adolescents, and it is necessary to refine prediction equations taking into consideration very carefully sex sand age differences.     

Ethnic differences in regional adiposity between adult caucasian and migrant pakistani males which are unexplained by some common indicators of lifestyles

This paper examined the ethnic differences in regional adiposity, measured as circumferences and skinfolds, after controlling for the effects of some indicators of lifestyle patterns, namely, smoking, physical activity, family history of diabetes and diet, in 262 adult White and 100 migrant Pakistani (of Kashmiri origin) males in Peterborough, East Anglia, England. Amongst individuals regularly consuming various dietary products, Pakistani men had significantly lower mean chest, minimum waist and maximum hip circumferences compared with Caucasians; they also had significantly higher mean abdomen, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds, but significantly lower mean forearm skinfold. Ethnicity was found to have significant associations with chest (p<0.01), waist (p<0.025), and hip (p<0.05) circumferences; and abdomen (p<0.005), subscapular (p<0.001), suprailiac (p<0.025), midaxillary (p<0.05) and forearm (p<0.005) skinfolds, after removing the combined effects of smoking, physical activity and various dietary products. Results also indicated that migrant Pakistanis had significantly higher mean abdomen (+4.6 mm), subscapular (+5.3 mm), suprailiac (+4.4 mm) and midaxillary skinfolds (+3.3 mm); but significantly lower mean forearm (−1.2 mm) and medial calf (−1.2 mm) skinfolds, and chest circumference (−1.8 cm), after removing the combined effects of age, age², smoking status, physical activity undertaken, diet and family history of diabetes. These significant ethnic differences existed even after removing the effect of body mass index (BMI). This investigation provides clear evidence that the significant ethnic difference in regional adiposity between adult Caucasians and migrant Pakistanis of Kashmiri origin was not due to the various lifestyle indicators but may be influenced by genetic determinants. Further studies are needed to determine the nature and extent of the genetic component of this ethnic heterogeneity in regional adiposity between Caucasians and migrant Pakistanis.     

DRB genotyping supports recessive inheritance of DR3-associated susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The mode of inheritance of HLA-associated susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was investigated by the antigen genotype frequency among patients method in a white Caucasian population and a North Indian Asian population. DR genotypes were determined by DRB/DQB RFLP analysis. In white Caucasians, simple recessive and simple additive inheritance of a single HLA-associated disease susceptibility allele were rejected (P less than .025 and P less than 10(-6), respectively). The data were compatible with a three-allele model of disease susceptibility. In North Indian Asians, simple additive inheritance was rejected (P less than 10(-6)). The observed genotype frequencies were compatible with a single DR3-associated disease susceptibility allele which is inherited recessively. These data show that study of DR genotypes in populations of different ethnic origins may further the understanding of inherited susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.     

Income, birth order, siblings, and anthropometry

The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship and effect of monthly household income, birth order, and number of siblings on adult body dimensions, adiposity index, and body composition among adult Bengali females. One hundred seventy-one adult Bengali females, age 20.35 +/- 1.51 years (mean +/- SD; range: 18-21 years) from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) were studied. Anthropometric measures (weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference, and triceps, biceps, subscapular, suprailiac, and medial calf skinfold thicknesses) were taken from all participants using standard protocols. BMI and log10 of the sum of the five skinfold thicknesses were computed subsequently. Percentage of body fat was estimated from the triceps skinfold thickness following the equation of Durnin and Womersley (1974), and fat mass was then calculated. Results of the correlation analysis revealed that monthly household income had significant (p < 0.05) positive association with all anthropometric variables. Birth order and number of siblings showed significant (p < 0.05) inverse association. The correlation of monthly household income with anthropometric variables was much stronger for number of siblings and birth order. The results of the analysis of variance showed that monthly household income, birth order, and number of siblings (tertiles used to categorize all variables) had significant effects (p < 0.05) on anthropometric variables, indicating differences in adult body dimensions, the adiposity index, and body composition in relation to income, birth order, and number of siblings.     

Inheritance of coat color in the mole vole (Ellobius talpinus Pallas)

Based on the ecological features of the mole vole, family analysis of the inheritance of coat color was performed with the use of material collected in a wild population. Analysis of coat color in parents and offspring has demonstrated that the offspring segregation into black and nonblack animals after crosses of different types agrees with the hypothesis on the monogenic inheritance of these color variations. Black mole voles are homozygous for the recessive allele (genotype aa). Homozygotes for the dominant allele (AA) are brown. Heterozygotes (Aa) may be brown or have transitional color. The mean frequency of brown coat color in heterozygotes is 0.509 and is very variable. The higher the color intensity in black elements of parent coat color, the more is the offspring coat color saturated with these elements.     

布依族成人皮褶厚度的年龄变化

测量了494例(男259例,女235例)布依族成人的6项皮褶(腓肠肌皮褶、髂前上棘皮褶、肩胛下皮褶、三头肌皮褶、二头肌皮褶与面颊皮褶)厚度值,分析了布依族成人皮褶厚度值随年龄而变化的特征。研究表明:(1)男女同年龄组间对应比较皮褶厚度值,总体看来,女性高于男性;(2)男性躯干和面部的皮下脂肪厚于四肢,这一点女性与男性接近;(3)布依族人6项皮褶随年龄的增加,其厚度变化不大,其中男性表现尤为明显。     

The affected sib method. III. Selection and recombination.

The affected sib-pair method has been used to investigate the mode of inheritance, and to estimate the "disease" allele frequency, for a number of HLA-associated diseases. One of the assumptions of the original sib-pair method is that the disease confers no selective disadvantage on affected individuals. This is obviously not the situation for most diseases. We have determined the expected HLA haplotype-sharing distribution among affected sib-pairs when selection against individuals with the disease is taken into account. We have shown that if the mode of inheritance of the selectively disadvantageous disease is recessive or additive, the original affected sib-pair analysis, ignoring selection, still estimates the true mode of inheritance, but usually yields an underestimate of the "disease" allele frequency. For intermediate and dominant models of disease predisposition, both the estimates of the degree of penetrance of the "disease" genotypes, and the "disease" allele frequency, are altered if selection is ignored in the analysis. Similarly, allowing for recombination between the "disease" locus and the HLA region does not affect the determination of the mode of inheritance of the disease if it is recessive or additive; in other cases, however, the estimate of the mode of inheritance is affected. The "disease" allele frequency is overestimated when nonzero recombination is ignored for all the modes of inheritance that have been studied.     

湖南土家族成人的皮褶厚度和体成分分析

本项目采用人体测量法,测量了976名（男性528人,女性448人）湖南土家族成人的身高、体质量以及肱三头肌、肩胛下、髂前上和小腿内侧皮褶的厚度,并根据公式计算体密度、体脂率、脂肪质量、脂肪质量指数、瘦体质量和瘦体质量指数。结果显示随年龄增长,小腿内侧皮褶厚度值逐渐减小,肱三头肌、肩胛下和髂前上棘皮褶以及体脂率、脂肪质量、瘦体质量、体质量指数、脂肪质量指数和瘦体质量指数值先增大后减小,体密度值先减小后增大;各年龄组中体密度、瘦体质量及其指数值女性明显低于男性,4项皮褶厚度值以及体脂率、脂肪质量及其指数值女性高于男性;与布朗族等24个族群比较,湖南土家族成人皮褶厚度处于中等水平,与门巴族、珞巴族、僜人、彝族等族群的亲缘关系较近。