Background: Visceral obesity is positively related to insulin resistance. The nature of the relationship between waist circumference and insulin resistance has not been known in Japanese populations. This study examined the relationship between waist circumference and insulin resistance and evaluated the optimal cutoff point for waist circumference in relation to insulin resistance in middle-aged Japanese men.
Folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism has been implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis. We investigated associations of functional genetic polymorphisms of methionine synthase (MTR), MTR reductase (MTRR), and thymidylate synthase (TS) with colorectal adenomas. The study subjects were 455 cases of colorectal adenomas and 1052 controls with no polyp at colonoscopy. Genotypes were determined for MTR A2756G, MTRR A66G and two polymorphisms in the TS gene, 28-bp tandem repeat polymorphism in the promoter enhancer region (TSER) and 6-bp deletion polymorphism at position 1494 in the 3' untranslated region (TS 1494del6). We also examined the alcohol-genotype and gene-gene interactions on adenoma risk. The GG genotype of MTR A2756G was associated with an increased risk of colorectal adenomas; odds ratios for AG and GG versus AA genotype were 0.99 (95% confidence interval 0.78-1.26) and 1.72 (1.04-2.82), respectively. The increase in the risk associated with MTR 2756GG genotype was evident in men with high alcohol consumption (≥30 mL/d), but not in those with low alcohol consumption (interaction P = 0.03). Men who were homozygous for the TSER double-repeat allele had a slightly decreased risk of colorectal adenomas as compared with those homozygous for the TSER triple-repeat allele. Neither MTRR A66G nor TS 1494del6 was associated with colorectal adenomas. There was no measurable interaction either between MTR A2756G and MTRR A66G or between TSER and TS 1494del6. MTR A2756G appears to be associated with colorectal adenoma risk differently according to alcohol consumption. The MTR-catalyzed reaction may play an important role in the development of colorectal adenomas.
BackgroundOxidative stress has been implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bilirubin is a potent endogenous antioxidant, and coffee is a major source of exogenous antioxidants. Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), a marker of oxidative stress, is a strong predictor of the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the effect modification of bilirubin and coffee consumption on the association of serum GGT with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and the combined effect of bilirubin and coffee on HbA1c concentrations.MethodsThe subjects were 4492 men and 6242 women aged 49–76 years who participated in the baseline survey of an on-going cohort study on lifestyle-related diseases in Fukuoka, Japan. Geometric means of HbA1c were examined according to quartile categories of GGT, with stratification by serum total bilirubin (≥ 0.6 mg/dL versus less in men and ≥ 0.5 mg/dL versus less in women) and coffee consumption (< 1, 1–3 and ≥ 4 cups of per day). Statistical adjustment was made for age, smoking, alcohol use and body mass index by using analysis of covariance.ResultsHbA1 concentrations increased progressively with increasing levels of GGT in both men and women. The increasing trend of HbA1c concentrations associated with GGT did not differ by either bilirubin status or coffee consumption. Both men and women with high bilirubin had consistently lower concentrations of HbA1c across the GGT quartiles. Higher coffee consumption was associated with lower concentrations of HbA1c in women with low bilirubin (trend P = 0.04), but not with high bilirubin (trend P = 0.37). There was no such association between coffee and HbA1c in men with either low or high bilirubin levels.ConclusionsBilirubin is possibly protective against deterioration of glucose metabolism. Further studies are needed regarding the combined effect of bilirubin and coffee on glucose metabolism.
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