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The genetic variation in the tenomodulin gene is associated with serum total and LDL cholesterol in a body size-dependent manner

International Journal of Obesity volume 32, pages 1868–1872 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

We have reported that the sequence variation in the tenomodulin (TNMD) gene is associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), central obesity and serum levels of systemic immune mediators in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS), which is a longitudinal lifestyle intervention study on 522 middle-aged persons with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the association with T2DM, observed in the DPS could be replicated in a larger, cross-sectional population-based random sample of 5298 men (3020 with normoglycaemia, 984 with impaired fasting glucose, 436 with IGT and 811 with T2DM) from the region of Kuopio, eastern Finland. To further explore the putative mechanisms linking TNMD to T2DM and metabolic syndrome, we studied the associations of TNMD sequence variation with lipid abnormalities characteristic to metabolic syndrome. The association with T2DM risk was not replicated, but significant associations were found with serum low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol in a body mass index-dependent manner. These associations were also observed in the men of DPS, whereas in women these associations were not significant. These results from two independent study populations suggest that the genetic variation in TNMD could modulate cholesterol metabolism in obese men.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by Academy of Finland (Grants 117844, 211497 to MU, 209445 to MK and 38387 and 46558 to JT), EVO fund of the Kuopio University Hospital (5179 and 5198 to MU), from Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Nordic Centre of Excellence on ‘Systems biology in controlled dietary interventions and cohort studies’ (SYSDIET; project number 070014), Sigrid Juselius Foundation and The Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Nutrition and Food and Health Research Centre, School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

    A-M Tolppanen, L Pulkkinen, M Kolehmainen, U Schwab & M Uusitupa

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Kuopio and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    T Kuulasmaa & J Kuusisto

  3. Institute of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    U Schwab

  4. Department of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention, Diabetes Unit, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    J Lindström & J Tuomilehto

  5. Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    J Tuomilehto

Authors
  1. A-M Tolppanen
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  2. L Pulkkinen
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  3. T Kuulasmaa
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  4. M Kolehmainen
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  5. U Schwab
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  6. J Lindström
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  7. J Tuomilehto
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  8. M Uusitupa
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  9. J Kuusisto
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Correspondence to A-M Tolppanen.

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Tolppanen, AM., Pulkkinen, L., Kuulasmaa, T. et al. The genetic variation in the tenomodulin gene is associated with serum total and LDL cholesterol in a body size-dependent manner. Int J Obes 32, 1868–1872 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.217

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.217

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