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The genetic variant of lactase persistence C (−13910) T as a risk factor for type I and II diabetes in the Finnish population

Abstract

Objective: Lactase persistence (LP), the ability to maintain a high lactase activity throughout life, has been suggested to be a possible risk factor for diabetes. Recently, a single nucleotide polymorphism C (−13910) T, residing 14 kb from the 5′ end of the lactase (LCT) gene was shown to be associated with LP. Here we have studied the relationship between C (13910) T polymorphism and diabetes in the Finnish population.

Patients and design: In all, 1455 patients with type I and 615 with type II diabetes and 446 nondiabetic controls in the Finnish population were genotyped for the C (-13910) T polymorphism by PCR minisequencing.

Results: No differences were detected in the LP genotype frequencies (CT&TT) between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects.

Conclusions: We conclude that the C (−13910) T polymorphism associated with lifelong LP is not a risk factor for type I or type II diabetes in the Finnish population.

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Acknowledgements

The Botnia Research Group is thanked for recruiting and clinically studying the type II diabetic and control subjects. The Botnia study in Finland is supported by grants from the Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Academy of Finland, Folkhalsan Research Foundation, the Helsinki University Central Hospital Research Funding, Finnish Diabetes Research Society, EC (BM4-CT95-0662), Novo Nordisk Foundation. T Tuomi is a researcher at the Academy of Finland.

The FinnDiane Research Group is thanked for recruiting and clinically studying the type I diabetic subjects. The Finn Diane Study is supported by grants from Folkhälsan Research Foundation, Samfundet Folkhälsan, The Wilhelm and Else Stockmann Foundation, The Liv och Hälsa Foundation, The Finnish Medical Society, and The Perklēn Foundation. We also acknowledge the physicians and nurses in each centre who participated in the collection of the FinnDiane patients:

Central Finland Central Hospital: A Halonen, A Koistinen, P Koskiaho, M Laukkanen, J Saltevo, M Tiihonen, T Forslund; Central Hospital of Aland Islands: A-C Blomqvist, M Forsen, H Granlund, B Nyroos; Central Hospital of Kanta-Hame: P Kinnunen, A Orvola, T Salonen, A Vähänen; Central Hospital of Kymenlaakso: R Paldanius, M Riihelä, L Ryysy; Central Hospital of Lansi-Pohja: P Nyländen, A Sademies; Central Ostrobothnian Hospital District: S Anderson, B Asplund, U Byskata, T Virkkala; City of Turku Health Center: I Hämäläinen, H Virtamo, M Vähätalo; Kainuu Central Hospital: S Jokelainen, P Kempainen, A-M Mankinen, M Sankari; Lapland Central Hospital: L Hyvärinen, S Severinkangas, T Tulokas; Mikkeli Central Hospital: A Gynther, R Manninen, P Nironen, M Salminen, T Vänttinen; North Karelian Hospital: U-M Henttula, A Rissanen, H Turtola, M Voutilainen; Paijat-Hame Central Hospital: H Haapamäki, A Helanterä, H Miettinen, V Ilvesmäki; Satakunta Central Hospital: M Juhola, P Kunelius, M-L Lahdenmäki, P Pääkkönen, M Rautavirta; Savonlinna Central Hospital: T Pulli, P Sallinen, H Valtonen, A Vartia; Seinajoki Central Hospital: E Korpi-Hyövälti, T Latvala, E Leijala; South Karelia Hospital District: T Hotti, R Härkönen, U Nyholm, R Vanamo; Tampere University Hospital: I Ala-Houhala, T Kuningas, P Lampinen, M Määttä, H Oksala, T Oksanen, K Salonen, H Taurianen, S Tulokas; Turku Health Center: I Hämäläinen, H Virtamo, M Vähätalo; Turku University Central Hospital: M Asola, K Breitholz, R Eskola, K Metsärinne, U Pietilä, P Saarinen, R Tuominen, S Äyräpää; Vasa Central Hospital: S Bergkulla, U Hautamäki, V-A Myllyniemi, I Rusk.

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Guarantor: P-H Groop.

Contributors: TT, PHG and IJ designed the study. NSE was responsible for the data analyses in collaboration with HR. NSE and CF were responsible for the statistical analyses. NSE, CF, TT and IJ were responsible for writing the manuscript. CF, PHG and IJ were involved in the final edition of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to I Järvelä.

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Enattah, N., Forsblom, C., Rasinperä, H. et al. The genetic variant of lactase persistence C (−13910) T as a risk factor for type I and II diabetes in the Finnish population. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 1319–1322 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601971

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