High Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor γ2 Pro12Ala Carriers Exposed to a High Chronic Intake of Trans Fatty Acids and Saturated Fatty Acids

Abstract

One of the most frequent polymorphisms of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR)γ2 is the Ala allele. Its incidence in the expression of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes is controversial (1–4). Recently it was suggested (5) that a gene-nutrient interaction at the PPARγ locus exists. We hypothesized that when exposed to a chronic environment of high trans fatty acid (FA) and saturated FA (SFAs) intake and sedentary lifestyle, 12Ala carriers express more type 2 diabetes at lower BMI and age than subjects without the polymorphism. This could be due to some weakness in the defenses against the ectopic storage of triglycerides, particularly in myocytes and β-cells. The current study is aimed at examining these possible relationships. This is a pilot study. We have included 56 subjects (40 women and 16 men), all of them Caucasian, who consecutively visited our metabolic department seeking care for overweight and obesity, but not all were overweight or obese. It was a population with a wide age range (21–62 years) …