Research on type 2 diabetes therapy detailed by scientists at German Institute of Human Nutrition, Department of Epidemiology

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March 2nd, 2009

   2009 MAR 2 -- Investigators publish new data in the report 'Whole-grain consumption and transcription factor-7-like 2 ( TCF7L2) rs7903146: gene-diet interaction in modulating type 2 diabetes risk.' "Whole grains are known to influence postprandial glucose response and insulin demand and are inversely associated with diabetes risk. Genetic variation of the transcription factor-7-like 2 encoding gene (TCF7L2) is assumed to promote an early insulin secretory defect and has been consistently attributed to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes," scientists in Germany report.

   "The present study examined the hypothesis that the protective effect of whole grains might be attenuated in the presence of the rs7903146 risk-conferring T-allele. We employed a case-cohort study of 2318 randomised individuals and 724 incident type 2 diabetes cases from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam cohort. Multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate relative risks of diabetes including product terms testing for the genotype-specific effect modification of dietary whole grain. Dietary intake of whole grains was assessed by a validated FFQ. The TCF7L2 rs7903146 T-allele was associated with type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio=1.51; 95 % CI 1.21, 1.87) and modified the inverse association between whole-grain intake and diabetes risk (p=0.016 for interaction). While whole-grain intake was inversely associated with diabetes risk among rs7903146 CC homozygote carriers (hazard ratio for 50 g portion per d=0.86; 95 % CI 0.75, 0.99), the T-allele negated the protective effect of whole-grain intake (hazard ratio among T-allele carriers for 50 g portion per d=1.08; 95 % CI 0.96, 1.23)," wrote E. Fisher and colleagues, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Department of Epidemiology.

   The researchers concluded: "These data provide evidence that the beneficial effect of whole-grain intake on diabetes risk is modified by TCF7L2 rs7903146."

   Fisher and colleagues published their study in British Journal of Nutrition (Whole-grain consumption and transcription factor-7-like 2 ( TCF7L2) rs7903146: gene-diet interaction in modulating type 2 diabetes risk. British Journal of Nutrition, 2009;101(4):478-81).

   For more information, contact E. Fisher, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Dept. of Epidemiology, Nuthetal, Germany.

   Publisher contact information for the British Journal of Nutrition is: Cambridge University Press, 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473.

   Keywords: Germany, Type 2 Diabetes Therapy, Alternative Medicine, Cancer, Clinical Trial Research, Diabetes Risk, Epidemiology, Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, Oncology, Therapy, Treatment, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

   This article was prepared by Biotech Business Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Biotech Business Week via NewsRx.com.

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