Association between chemerin rs17173608 and vaspin rs2236242 gene polymorphisms and the metabolic syndrome,a preliminary report

Metabolic syndrome (MeS) is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease. There is some evidence indicating that adipokines play a role in the development of MeS. The present study was aimed to investigate the impact of chemerin rs17173608 and vaspin rs2236242 gene polymorphisms with the risk of MeS in a sample of Iranian population.     

Association of MEP1A gene variants with insulin metabolism in central European women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) shows not only hyperandrogenemia, hirsutism and fertility problems, but also metabolic disturbances including obesity, cardiovascular events and type-2 diabetes. Accumulating evidence suggests some degree of inflammation associated with prominent aspects of PCOS. We aimed to investigate the association of genetic variants 3′UTR rs17468190 (G/T) of the inflammation-associated gene MEP1A (GenBank ID: NM_005588.2) with metabolic disturbances in PCOS and healthy control women.     

Genetic variants in selenoprotein P plasma 1 gene (SEPP1) are associated with fasting insulin and first phase insulin response in Hispanics

Context

Insulin resistance is not fully explained on a molecular level, though several genes and proteins have been tied to this defect. Knockdowns of the SEPP1 gene, which encodes the selenoprotein P (SeP) protein, have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity in mice. SeP is a liver-derived plasma protein and a major supplier of selenium, which is a proposed insulin mimetic and antidiabetic agent.

Objective

SEPP1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected for analysis with glucometabolic measures.

Participants and measures

The study included1424 Hispanics from families in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family Study (IRASFS). Additionally, the multi-ethnic Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study was used. A frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test was used to obtain precise measures of acute insulin response (AIR) and the insulin sensitivity index (S_I).

Design

21 SEPP1 SNPs (tagging SNPs (n = 12) from HapMap, 4 coding variants and 6 SNPs in the promoter region) were genotyped and analyzed for association.

Results

Two highly correlated (r² = 1) SNPs showed association with AIR (rs28919926; Cys368Arg; p = 0.0028 and rs146125471; Ile293Met; p = 0.0026) while rs16872779 (intronic) was associated with fasting insulin levels (p = 0.0097). In the smaller IRAS Hispanic cohort, few of the associations seen in the IRASFS were replicated, but meta-analysis of IRASFS and all 3 IRAS cohorts (N = 2446) supported association of rs28919926 and rs146125471 with AIR (p = 0.013 and 0.0047, respectively) as well as rs7579 with S_I (p = 0.047).

Conclusions

Overall, these results in a human sample are consistent with the literature suggesting a role for SEPP1 in insulin resistance.     

Psychiatric III-Health of Women and Its Relationship to Obesity and Body Fat Distribution

Objective : Abdominal obesity is associated with serious, prevalent diseases. Previously, psychiatric symptoms and ill-health has been found in this condition in men. The results of a similar study in women is reported herein. Research Methods and Procedures : A cohort of 1464 women, aged 40 years and recruited by systematic sampling, was examined (77.7% participation rate). Items regarding use of anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antidepressive drugs were registered, as well as symptoms of dyspepsia, sleeping disturbances, melancholy, and degree of life satisfaction. Smoking and alcohol consumption, as well as self-measured weight, height, waist, and hip circumferences, were reported, from which body mass index [BMI; weight (kg)/height² (m²), kg/m²] and the waist/hip circumference ratio (WHR) were calculated. Results : In bivariate analyses, BMI was associated with use of anxiolytics, antidepressive drugs, various sleeping disturbances, and a low degree of life satisfaction. After controlling for “the WHR, alcohol, and tobacco use in multivariate analysis, the associations between BMI and use of anxiolytics and sleeping disturbances remained significant. The WHR correlated with dyspepsia, sleeping problems, and use of antidepressive drugs. After adjustments for BMI, smoking, and alcohol, the relationship to dyspepsia and antidepressants remained significant. Discussion : The results suggest that elevated BMI (obesity) and elevated WHR (central fat distribution) are associated in different ways with symptoms of psychiatric ill-health in women. Obesity alone shows no such relationships to psy chiatric ill-health in men, whereas central fat distribution shows independent associations to all of the measured variables studied in this report in women, suggesting gender differences in these associations.     

Mental Distress,Obesity and Body Fat Distribution in Middle-Aged Men

Previous epidemiological studies have suggested that psychiatric symptoms are associated with obesity and abdominal distribution of body fat in women. The aim of the present study was to examine this in middle-aged men. In 1992 a cluster selected cohort of 1040 men born in 1944 (participation rate 79.9%) was examined. Registrations of symptoms of depression and anxiety, sleep disturbances, psychosomatic disease as well as degree of life satisfaction were analyzed in relation to body mass index (BMI) and the waist/hip circumference ratio (WHR). In univariate analyses both BMI and WHR correlated with these factors. BMI and WHR were, however, closely interrelated (p=0.61), necessitating analyses of separate, independent relationships in multivariate analyses. When adjusted for WHR all the significant relationships with BMI disappeared. In contrast the WHR, adjusted for BMI, showed remaining significant associations with the use of anxiolytics (p=0.018), hypnotics (p=0.029), antidepressive drugs (p=0.008), degree of melancholy (p=0.002), and life satisfaction (p=0.002, negative), difficulties to sleep (p=0.014) and fall asleep (p=0.047), tendency to wake up from sleep (borderline, p=0.070) and dyspepsia (p < 0.001). Since smoking and alcohol are known to influence on the WHR, these factors were, in addition to BMI, entered into the analyses as confounding variables. The mentioned associations then remained statistical significant (use of hypnotics borderline, p=0.074) except difficulties to fall asleep and tendency to wake up. It was concluded that in contrast to BMI, the WHR is associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety with associated sleep disturbances, as well as psychosomatic symptoms and dissatisfaction. It was hypothesized that the mechanism involved might be increased secretion of Cortisol, directing storage fat to central adipose tissue depots.