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Aims The aim of the study was to investigate the association of serum adiponectin levels with the Pro12Ala polymorphism of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ ( PPARG) gene in Asian Indians. Methods We selected 400 diabetic subjects, 200 with the Pro12Pro genotype (100 male and 100 female) and 200 with the Pro12Ala genotype (100 male and 100 female) and 400 age- and sex-matched normal glucose tolerance subjects with similar genotype profiles from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study. Fasting serum adiponection levels were measured using radioimmunoassay. The Pro12Ala polymorphism was genotyped by PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism using BstUI. Results All clinical and biochemical parameters were similar in the subjects with the Pro12Pro and Pro12Ala genotypes. There was no significant difference in serum adiponectin values between subjects with the Pro12Pro and Pro12Ala genotypes (males 5.4 vs. 5.8 µg/ml, P = 0.546; females 6.9 vs. 7.2 µg/ml, P = 0.748). Adiponectin values did not differ among these two genotypes even when categorized based on their diabetes status (normal glucose tolerance Pro12Pro 7.9 vs. Pro12Ala 7.7 µg/ml, P = 0.994; diabetes Pro12Pro 4.7 vs. Pro12Ala 5.4 µg/ml, P = 0.622). Conclusion The Pro12Ala polymorphism of the PPARG gene is not associated with serum adiponectin levels in Asian Indians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere shortening has been reported in several diseases including atherosclerosis and Type 1 diabetes. Asian Indians have an increased predilection for Type 2 diabetes and premature coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether telomeric shortening occurs in Asian Indian Type 2 diabetic patients. Using Southern-blot analysis we determined mean terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length, a measure of average telomere size, in leucocyte DNA. Type 2 diabetic patients without any diabetes-related complications ( n = 40) and age- and sex-matched control non-diabetic subjects ( n = 40) were selected from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES). Plasma level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, was measured by TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) using a fluorescence method. Mean (± SE) TRF lengths of the Type 2 diabetic patients (6.01 ± 0.2 kb) were significantly shorter than those of the control subjects (9.11 ± 0.6 kb) ( P = 0.0001). Among the biochemical parameters, only levels of TBARS showed a negative correlation with shortened telomeres in the diabetic subjects ( r = −0.36; P = 0.02). However, telomere lengths were negatively correlated with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) ( r = −0.4; P = 0.01) and age ( r = −0.3; P = 0.058) and positively correlated with HDL levels ( r = 0.4; P = 0.01) in the control subjects. Multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis revealed diabetes to be significantly ( P < 0.0001) associated with shortening of TRF lengths. Telomere shortening occurs in Asian Indian Type 2 diabetic patients. Diabet. Med. (2005) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]