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OBJECTIVE We examined the associations of GAD antibodies (GADA) and C-peptide (CP) with insulin initiation, glycemic responses, and severe hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes (T2D). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In 5,230 Chinese patients (47.6% men) with T2D (mean ± SD age: 56.5 ± 13.9 years; median diabetes duration: 6 [interquartile range 1, 12] years), enrolled consecutively in 1996–2012 and prospectively observed until 2019, we retrospectively measured fasting CP and GADA in stored serum and examined their associations with aforementioned outcomes. RESULTS At baseline, 28.6% (n = 1,494) had low CP ( CONCLUSIONS There is considerable heterogeneity in autoimmunity and β-cell dysfunction in T2D with GADA+ and high CP associated with early insulin initiation, while GADA+ and low CP, increased the risk of severe hypoglycemia. Extended phenotyping is warranted to increase the precision of classification and treatment in T2D.

Glucokinase-maturity-onset diabetes of the young (GCK-MODY) is caused by heterozygous inactivating mutations in glucokinase (GK, gene symbolGCK) and impaired glucose sensing. We investigated effects of dorzagliatin, a novel allosteric GK activator, on insulin secretion rates (ISR) and beta-cell glucose-sensitivity (βCGS) in GCK-MODY and recent-onset type 2 diabetes. In a double-blind, randomized cross-over study, eight participants with GCK-MODY and 10 with type 2 diabetes underwent 2-hour 12-mmol/L hyperglycemic clamps following a single oral dose of dorzagliatin 75mg or matched placebo. Effects of dorzagliatin on wild-type and mutant GK enzyme activity were investigated using a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) coupled assay with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) in vitro. In GCK-MODY, dorzagliatin significantly increased absolute and incremental second-phase ISR versus placebo but not the acute insulin response. Dorzagliatin improved βCGS in GCK-MODY with a upward and leftward shift in ISR-glucose response. Dorzagliatin increased basal ISR in type 2 diabetes with smaller changes in second-phase ISR compared with GCK-MODY. In vitro, dorzagliatin directly reduced the glucose half saturation concentration (S0.5) of wild-type GK and selected GK mutants to varying degrees. Dorzagliatin directly restored enzyme activity of select GK mutants and enhanced wild-type GK activity, thereby correcting the primary defect of glucose sensing in GCK-MODY.

Objective: This study aims to unravel genetic determinants of coronary heart disease (CHD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and explore their applications. Research Design and Methods: We performed a two-stage genome-wide association studies for CHD in Chinese patients with T2D (3,596 cases and 8,898 controls), followed by replications in European patients with T2D (764 cases and 4,276 controls) and general populations (n=51,442-547,261). Each identified variant was examined for its association with a wide range of phenotypes, and its interactions with glycaemic, blood pressure (BP) and lipid controls on incident cardiovascular diseases. Results: We identified a novel variant (rs10171703) for CHD (OR [95% CI] = 1.21 [1.13–1.30]; P=2.4×10-8) and BP (β±SE = 0.130±0.017; P = 4.1×10-14) at PDE1A in Chinese T2D patients, but found only a modest association with CHD in general populations. This variant modulated the effects of BP goal attainment (130/80 mmHg) on CHD (Pinteraction = 0.0155) and myocardial infarction (MI) (Pinteraction = 5.1×10-4). Patients with CC-genotype of rs10171703 had >40% reduction in either cardiovascular events in response to BP control (2.9×10-8 < P < 3.6×10-5), those with CT-genotype had no difference (0.0726 < P < 0.2614), and those with TT-genotype had a threefold increase in MI risk (P = 6.7×10-3). Conclusions: We discovered a novel CHD- and BP-related variant at PDE1A which interacted with BP goal attainment with divergent effects on CHD risk in Chinese patients with T2D. Incorporating this information may facilitate individualized treatment strategies for precision care in diabetes only when our findings are validated.

Objective We examined the associations of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA) and C-peptide (CP) with insulin initiation, glycemic responses and severe hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Research Design and Methods In 5230 Chinese patients with T2D (mean±SD age: 56.5±13.9 years, diabetes duration (median, IQR): 6 (1-12) years, 47.6% men) enrolled consecutively in 1996-2012 and prospectively observed till 2019, we retrospectively measured fasting CP and GADA in stored serum and examined their associations with aforementioned outcomes. Results At baseline, 28.6% had low CP (p=0.002) for insulin initiation versus the GADA- group, while the low-CP group had an aHR of 0.88 (0.77-1.00, p=0.051) versus the high-CP group. Following insulin initiation, the GADA+ plus low-CP group had the largest decrements in HbA1c (-1.9% at month 6; -1.5% at month 12) versus -1% in the other 3 groups. The aHR of severe hypoglycemia was 1.29 [(95% CI 1.10-1.52), p=0.002] in the low-CP and 1.38 [(95% CI 1.04-1.83) p=0.024] in the GADA+ group. Conclusions There is considerable heterogeneity in autoimmunity and beta-cell dysfunction in T2D with GADA+ and high CP associated with early insulin initiation while GADA+ and low CP, increased risk of severe hypoglycemia. Extended phenotyping is warranted to increase the precision of classification and treatment in T2D.

OBJECTIVE Several studies support associations between relative leukocyte telomere length (rLTL), a biomarker of biological aging and type 2 diabetes. This study investigates the relationship between rLTL and the risk of glycemic progression in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this cohort study, consecutive Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (N = 5,506) from the Hong Kong Diabetes Register with stored baseline DNA and available follow-up data were studied. rLTL was measured using quantitative PCR. Glycemic progression was defined as the new need for exogenous insulin. RESULTS The mean (SD) age of the 5,349 subjects was 57.0 (13.3) years, and mean (SD) follow-up was 8.8 (5.4) years. Baseline rLTL was significantly shorter in the 1,803 subjects who progressed to insulin requirement compared with the remaining subjects (4.43 ± 1.16 vs. 4.69 ± 1.20). Shorter rLTL was associated with a higher risk of glycemic progression (hazard ratio [95% CI] for each unit decrease [to ∼0.2 kilobases]: 1.10 [1.06–1.14]), which remained significant after adjusting for confounders. Baseline rLTL was independently associated with glycemic exposure during follow-up (β = −0.05 [−0.06 to −0.04]). Each 1-kilobase decrease in absolute LTL was on average associated with a 1.69-fold higher risk of diabetes progression (95% CI 1.35–2.11). Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis showed per 1-unit genetically decreased rLTL was associated with a 1.38-fold higher risk of diabetes progression (95% CI 1.12–1.70). CONCLUSIONS Shorter rLTL was significantly associated with an increased risk of glycemic progression in individuals with type 2 diabetes, independent of established risk factors. Telomere length may be a useful biomarker for glycemic progression in people with type 2 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis Few large-scale prospective studies have investigated associations between relative leucocyte telomere length (rLTL) and kidney dysfunction in individuals with type 2 diabetes. We examined relationships between rLTL and incident end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and the slope of eGFR decline in Chinese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods We studied 4085 Chinese individuals with type 2 diabetes observed between 1995 and 2007 in the Hong Kong Diabetes Register with stored baseline DNA and available follow-up data. rLTL was measured using quantitative PCR. ESKD was diagnosed based on the ICD-9 code and eGFR. Results In this cohort (mean ± SD age 54.3 ± 12.6 years) followed up for 14.1 ± 5.3 years, 564 individuals developed incident ESKD and had shorter rLTL at baseline (4.2 ± 1.2 vs 4.7 ± 1.2, p n = 3521). On Cox regression analysis, each ∆∆Ct decrease in rLTL was associated with an increased risk of incident ESKD (HR 1.21 [95% CI 1.13, 1.30], p 1c, lipids, renal function and other risk factors (HR 1.11 [95% CI 1.03, 1.19], p = 0.007). Shorter rLTL at baseline was associated with rapid decline in eGFR (>4% per year) during follow-up (unadjusted OR 1.22 [95% CI 1.15, 1.30], p p = 0.024). Conclusions/interpretation rLTL is independently associated with incident ESKD and rapid eGFR loss in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Telomere length may be a useful biomarker for the progression of kidney function and ESKD in type 2 diabetes. Graphical abstract

To compare the extent to which visceral adiposity, as measured by mesenteric fat thickness, contribute to cardiometabolic risk, especially insulin resistance, in women with PCOS and healthy control.This is a cross-sectional study with a total of 190 women with PCOS fulfilling the Rotterdam diagnostic criteria. Women without PCOS were recruited from a previous study, which comprised 416 healthy women controls with normal glucose tolerance. All subjects underwent OGTT, biochemical assessment, and sonographic assessment with measurements of mesenteric, preperitoneal and subcutaneous fat thickness.Mesenteric fat thickness was strongly correlated to cardiometabolic traits including blood pressure, fasting and 2-h glucose, triglycerides, HOMA-IR; and was negatively correlated to HDL-C in both cohorts (all p0.01). In PCOS, positive correlation was observed between mesenteric fat thickness and free androgen index (p0.01). Compared with controls, the regression line between mesenteric fat and HOMA-IR is much steeper in PCOS (p0.01).Women with PCOS remain more insulin resistant compared to controls at any given degree of visceral adiposity.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. FGF19, FGF21 and lipocalin-2 have emerged as important markers of metabolic risk. This study aims to compare the levels of FGF19, FGF21 and lipocalin-2 between subjects with or without PCOS, and to investigate the relationship between proteins and diabetes progression. In this nested case–control cohort study, 128 Chinese PCOS women and 128 controls were recruited and followed-up. All subjects underwent the oral glucose tolerance test for the evaluation of glycaemic status. Baseline serum protein levels were measured using ELISA. Compared with controls, PCOS subjects had higher levels of FGF19 (P < 0.001) and FGF21 (P = 0.022), but had lower lipocalin-2 (P < 0.001). In total, 20.8% of PCOS and 9.2% of controls developed diabetes over a mean duration of 10.4 ± 1.2 and 11.3 ± 0.5 years, respectively. Logistic regression analyses suggested FGF19 was positively associated with diabetes progression in controls, after adjusting for age, follow-up duration, waist and fasting glucose (P = 0.026, odds ratio (OR) (95% CI): 7.4 (1.3–43.6)), and the positive relationship between FGF21 and diabetes progression in controls was attenuated by adjusting for age and follow-up duration (P = 0.183). Lipocalin-2 was positively correlated with diabetes progression in PCOS group (P = 0.026, OR (95% CI)): 2.5 (1.1–5.6)); however, this became attenuated after adjusting for waist and fasting glucose (P = 0.081). In conclusion, there is differential expression of FGF19, FGF21, and lipocalin-2 in PCOS. The serum level of FGF19, and FGF21 is associated with diabetes progression in women without PCOS, while lipocalin-2 was related to diabetes progression in PCOS women.

Glucokinase maturity onset diabetes of the young (GCK-MODY) is caused by heterozygous inactivating mutations in GCK that is not responsive to conventional glucose lowering drugs. We investigated the effects of dorzagliatin, a novel allosteric activator of hepatic and beta-cell GCK on insulin secretion rates (ISR) and glucose sensitivity (GS) in GCK-MODY and recent onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) . In a double-blind, randomized cross-over study, 8 GCK-MODY (mean±SD age 36.1­±6.4years) and T2D subjects (mean age 50.2±6.9 years, median T2D duration 0.90 [0.60-1.42] years) underwent 2-hour 12 mmol/L hyperglycemic clamps following a single oral dose of dorzagliatin 75mg or matched placebo. Insulin and C-peptide were measured. GCK-MODY group showed significantly higher absolute (mean±SD 432±85 versus 272±91 pmol/min/m2, p=0.002) and incremental (342­±91 vs. 241±74 pmol/min/m2, p=0.004) second-phase ISR following dorzagliatin versus placebo. Dorzagliatin significantly improved GS in GCK-MODY (51±21 vs. 33­±13 pmol/min/m2 per mmol/L p=0.028) with an upward and leftward shift in ISR-glucose response. In T2D, basal ISR was significantly improved following dorzagliatin (102±57 vs. 60±42, p=0.018) with smaller increases in second phase ISR and GS. Dorzagliatin improves second phase ISR and GS, with larger effects in GCK-MODY than T2D. Disclosure E.Chow: Research Support; Hua Medicine, Medtronic, Powder Pharmaceuticals Inc., Speaker's Bureau; Novartis AG, Sanofi. L.Chen: Employee; Hua Medicine. J.C.Chan: Board Member; Asia Diabetes Foundation, Consultant; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Celltrion, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Roche Diabetes Care, Viatris Inc., Research Support; Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Hua Medicine, Servier Laboratories, Stock/Shareholder; GemVCare Ltd. K.Wang: None. C.K.P.Lim: None. S.Tsoi: None. B.Fan: None. A.Luk: None. R.C.Ma: Other Relationship; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Research Support; AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Novo Nordisk A/S, Pfizer Inc., Tricida, Inc. E.Ferrannini: Advisory Panel; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk, Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Consultant; Elgia Therapeutics, Research Support; Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis U.S., Speaker's Bureau; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. A.Mari: Consultant; Lilly, Research Support; Lilly. Funding Hua Medicine Investigator Initiated Clinical Research

Background: In patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and non-ketotic presentation, low C-peptide (CP) and positivity for glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA+) indicate early insulin requirement. In GADA- patients, the associations of CP with insulin use, glycemic response and severe hypoglycemia event (SHE) are unknown. Methods: We measured fasting CP and GADA in 4590 Chinese patients with T2D enrolled in the Hong Kong Diabetes Register in 1995-2012 followed up till 2019. The updated homeostasis model assessment (HOMA2) was derived from fasting CP and plasma glucose. We defined incident insulin use as the first insulin prescription of at least 28 days, glycemic response as HbA1c reduction at one year after insulin initiation, and SHE using ICD-9 codes. Linear and Cox regression models were applied for association analyses. Results: At enrolment, 32% had low CP ( Conclusions: In patients with T2D, CP interacted with GADA to influence disease progressions including early insulin therapy and SHE. C-peptide might be correlated with IR in patients with GADA-. These subphenotypes allowed more precise classification of beta cell function to guide personalized treatment. Disclosure B.Fan: None. A.Luk: None. J.C.Chan: Board Member; Asia Diabetes Foundation, Consultant; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Celltrion, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Roche Diabetes Care, Viatris Inc., Research Support; Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Hua Medicine, Servier Laboratories, Stock/Shareholder; GemVCare Ltd. E.S.H.Lau: None. H.Wu: None. M.Shi: None. A.Yang: None. C.K.P.Lim: None. A.P.Kong: Advisory Panel; Abbott, Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Other Relationship; AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Research Support; Boehringer Ingelheim, Speaker's Bureau; AstraZeneca, Bayer, Eli Lilly and Company, Sanofi, Stock/Shareholder; Aptorum Group Limited. E.Chow: Research Support; Hua Medicine, Medtronic, Powder Pharmaceuticals Inc., Speaker's Bureau; Novartis AG, Sanofi. R.C.Ma: Other Relationship; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Research Support; AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Novo Nordisk A/S, Pfizer Inc., Tricida, Inc. Funding The HKG Health Medical and Research Fund and RGC Research Impact Fund

We aim to assess the long-term impact of AKI on progression of diabetic kidney disease and all-cause mortality, and investigate determinants of AKI in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A consecutive cohort of 9,096 Chinese patients with T2D from the Hong Kong Diabetes Register were followed for 12 years (mean[SD] age 57±13.2 years; 46.9% men; duration of diabetes 5 years). AKI was defined based on the KDIGO criteria using serum creatinine. Estimated glomerular filtration rate measurements were used to identify the first episode with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Polygenic risk score (PRS) composed of 27 SNPs known to be associated with serum uric acid (SUA) in European populations was used to examine the role of SUA in pathogenesis of AKI, CKD and ESRD. Validation was sought in an independent cohort including 6,007 patients (mean age 61.2±10.9 years; 59.5% men; median duration of diabetes 10 years). Patients with AKI had a higher risk for developing incident CKD (HR [95% CI]: 14.3[12.69-16.11]), ESRD (12.1[10.74-13.62]) and all-cause death (7.99[7.31-8.74]), compared with those without AKI. Incidence rate for ESRD among patients with 0, 1, 2, ³ 3 episodes of AKI were 7.1, 24.4, 32.4, 37.3 per 1000 person-years. Baseline SUA was a strong independent predictor for AKI. A PRS composed of 27 SUA-related SNPs was associated with AKI and CKD in both discovery and replication cohorts, but not ESRD. Elevated SUA may increase the risk of diabetic kidney disease through increasing AKI. The identification of SUA as a modifiable risk factor and PRS as a non-modifiable risk factor may facilitate the identification of high-risk individuals to prevent AKI and its long-term impact in T2D.

Sulfonylureas (SUs) are predominantly metabolized by cytochrome p450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and cytochrome p450 2C19 (CYP2C19) enzymes. CYP2C9 polymorphisms are associated with greater treatment response and hypoglycemic risk in SU users. However, there are no large scale pharmacogenetic studies investigating the effect of loss-of-function alleles CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3, which occur frequently in East Asians. Retrospective pharmacogenetic analysis was performed in 11,495 genotyped patients who were enrolled in the Hong Kong Diabetes Register between 1995 and 2017, with follow-up to December 31, 2019. The associations of CYP2C19 polymorphisms with SU treatment failure, early HbA1c response, and severe hypoglycemia were analyzed by Cox regression or logistic regression assuming an additive genetic model. There were 2341 incident SU users that were identified (mean age 59 years, median diabetes duration 9 years), of which 324 were CYP2C19 poor metabolizers (CYP2C19 *2/*2 or *2/*3 or *3/*3). CYP2C19 poor metabolizers had lower risk of SU treatment failure (hazard ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.97, P = 0.018) and were more likely to reach the HbA1c treatment target

Aims To investigate association between skin autofluorescence (SAF) and cardiovascular events (CVE) and assess its predictive value in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and methods SAF was measured non-invasively in 3806 Chinese adults with T2D between 2016 and 2019 with CVE as primary endpoint and individual components as secondary endpoints. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine associations between SAF and endpoints with adjustment for conventional risk factors. C-statistic, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification improvement (NRI) were performed to evaluate SAF's predictive value. Results During a median 1.8 (interquartile range, 1.2–3.1) years of follow-up, 172 individuals experienced CVE. Multivariate Cox model showed that SAF was independently associated with CVE (HR 1.18 per SD, 95% CI [1.02, 1.37]), coronary heart disease (HR 1.29 per SD, 95% CI [1.02, 1.63]), and congestive heart failure (HR 1.53 per SD, 95% CI [1.14, 2.05]). SAF yielded additional value on CVE risk stratification with enhanced IDI (95% CI) (0.023 [0.001, 0.057]) and continuous NRI (0.377 [0.002, 0.558]) over traditional risk factors. Conclusions Higher SAF was independently associated with CVE in Chinese adults with T2D and yielded incremental predictive information for CVE. SAF has potential as a prognostic maker for CVE.

Skin autofluorescence (SAF), a non-invasive measure of the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in skin collagen, is associated with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR). We aimed to investigate whether SAF can identify individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) at high-risk of renal function decline. A total of 3,806 Chinese with T2D had SAF measured between 2016 to 2019. The primary endpoint was incident end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or ≥40% decline in eGFR relative to baseline. The secondary endpoint was the annual change in eGFR during follow-up. A Cox proportional hazard model was used for the primary endpoint, and linear mixed-effects model with random intercept and slope for eGFR slope and the association between SAF and rate of eGFR change. People with prevalent ESKD were excluded. Mean ± SD age was 60.4 ± 10.4 years, with mean ± SD eGFR 81.5 ± 22.9 ml/min/1.73 m2; median (interquartile range [IQR]) UACR was 2.2 (0.8-9.6) mg/mmol; and median eGFR slope was -2.18 ml/min/1.73 m2/year. During a median (IQR) 1.76 (1.13-3.13) years of follow-up, 219 experienced the primary endpoint. SAF was associated with increased risk of progression of kidney disease (adjusted hazard ratio 1.16 per SD, 95% CI [1.01, 1.33]), even after adjustment for established risk factors including eGFR and UACR. SAF was identified as an independent determinant of rate of eGFR decline (adjusted Beta coefficient -2.85 per SD, 95% CI [-3.82, -1.87]). Using the median eGFR slope as the cut-off, higher SAF was associated with faster eGFR decline (adjusted odds ratio 1.12 per SD, 95% CI [1.03, 1.22]) on multivariate logistic regression. This study demonstrates for the first time in a prospective setting that higher SAF is independently associated with increased risk of progression of kidney disease in individuals with T2D. Disclosure Q. Jin: None. A. P. Kong: Advisory Panel; Self; Lilly Diabetes, Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Lilly Diabetes, Sanofi, Stock/Shareholder; Self; Aptorum. A. Jenkins: Advisory Panel; Self; Abbott Diabetes, Sanofi-Aventis, Other Relationship; Self; Amgen Inc., Research Support; Self; Abbott, International Diabetes Federation, JDRF, Medtronic, Mylan N. V. J. C. Chan: Consultant; Self; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, MSD Corporation, Sanofi, Other Relationship; Self; Asia Diabetes Foundation, GemVCare, Research Support; Self; Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Hua Medicine, Lilly Diabetes, Merck KGaA. R. C. Ma: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca, Medtronic, Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Novo Nordisk, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis, Tricida, Inc. E. S. Lau: None. A. Luk: None. R. Ozaki: None. E. Chow: Research Support; Self; Medtronic, Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Sanofi-Aventis. T. So: None. H. Yeung: None. K. Loo: n/a. C. K. Lim: Stock/Shareholder; Self; GemVCare Ltd. Funding Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (R4012-18)

Background: The roles of insulin deficiency (ID) and resistance (IR) in young patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are uncertain. We explored the associations of HOMA2 IR and HOMA2 %B using fasting C peptide and plasma glucose (FPG) with incident T2D and insulin use in Chinese aged 18-50 years. Methods: Cohort 1 included subjects without T2D in 1998-2002 with glycemic status ascertained in 2012-2013. Cohort 2 included patients with T2D (1995-2014) with documentation of glycemic deterioration (continuous insulin use or failure of 2 oral drugs). Results: In cohort 1, 62 subjects developed (T2D-progressors) and 285 did not develop T2D (T2D-non-progressors) during 10-year follow-up. In cohort 2 (n=737), 293 (39.8%) required insulin after a median follow-up period of 8.6 years. At baseline, T2D-non-progressors had lower HOMA2 IR [median (IQR) 0.77 (0.60, 1.06)] vs. 1.06 (0.81, 1.38)] and similar HOMA2 %B [84.3 (72, 111.5) vs. 85.1 (75.6, 100.7)] compared with T2D-progressors. Non-insulin-requiring T2D patients had lower HOMA2 IR [1.47 (1.02, 2.11) vs. 1.76 (1.19, 2.42)] and higher HOMA2 %B [62.4 (39.4, 87.4) vs. 45.4 (25.8, 71.8)] than insulin-requiring patients. When stratified by median values and using low HOMA2 %B plus low HOMA2 IR as referent, subjects with high HOMA2 %B plus high HOMA2 IR had age and sex-adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of 2.47 (1.28, 4.93) and those with low HOMA2% B plus high HOMA2 IR had 5.27 (2.27, 12.84) of incident T2D. In the T2D cohort, using high HOMA2 %B plus low HOMA2 IR as referent, the hazard ratio (95% CI) for insulin use increased with low HOMA2 %B [2.18 (1.47, 3.23)], high HOMA2 IR [2.45 (1.64, 3.64)] and low HOMA2 %B plus high HOMA2 IR [4.25 (2.82, 6.41)] adjusted for age, sex and disease duration. These associations were attenuated after adjusting for obesity, FPG, HbA1c and TG/HDL-C. Conclusions: In young to middle-aged Chinese, progressive worsening in IR and ID contribute to onset of T2D and insulin requirement, which can be attenuated by early control of metabolic factors. Disclosure B. Fan: None. E. Chow: Research Support; Self; Medtronic, Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Sanofi-Aventis. R. C. Ma: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca, Medtronic, Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Novo Nordisk, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis, Tricida, Inc. A. Luk: None. J. C. Chan: Consultant; Self; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, MSD Corporation, Sanofi, Other Relationship; Self; Asia Diabetes Foundation, GemVCare, Research Support; Self; Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Hua Medicine, Lilly Diabetes, Merck KGaA. H. Wu: None. M. Shi: None. A. Yang: None. C. H. Tam: None. E. S. H. Lau: None. D. Mao: None. C. K. P. Lim: Stock/Shareholder; Self; GemVCare Ltd. A. P. Kong: Advisory Panel; Self; Lilly Diabetes, Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Lilly Diabetes, Sanofi, Stock/Shareholder; Self; Aptorum.

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker of biological aging, and has been associated with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Insufficient maternal vitamin D (25(OH)D) has also been associated with increased disease risk for many diseases and adverse later life outcomes. The association between maternal and cord blood total 25(OH)D and LTL was examined in mother-child pairs from the HAPO Hong Kong Field Centre, including 815 offspring at age (mean±SD) 6.96 ± 0.44 years. LTL was measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction and serum 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3 and 3-epi-25(OH)D3 were measured in maternal blood (at gestation 24-32 weeks) and cord blood by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Children LTL at follow-up was significantly shorter in boys compared to girls (p Disclosure K. Wong: None. B. E. Metzger: None. W. Lowe: None. W. H. Tam: None. R. C. Ma: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca, Medtronic, Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Novo Nordisk, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis, Tricida, Inc. F. Cheng: None. D. Mao: None. C. K. P. Lim: Stock/Shareholder; Self; GemVCare Ltd. R. Wang: None. C. H. Tam: None. M. A. Joglekar: None. A. A. Hardikar: None. A. Jenkins: Advisory Panel; Self; Abbott Diabetes, Sanofi-Aventis, Other Relationship; Self; Amgen Inc., Research Support; Self; Abbott, International Diabetes Federation, JDRF, Medtronic, Mylan N. V.

Diabetes is a major cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD), yet the natural history of diabetic kidney disease is not well understood. We aimed to identify patterns of estimated GFR (eGFR) trajectory and to determine the clinical and genetic factors and their associations of these different patterns with all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Among 6330 patients with baseline eGFR >60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 in the Hong Kong Diabetes Register, a total of 456 patients (7.2%) developed Stage 5 chronic kidney disease or ESRD over a median follow-up of 13 years (incidence rate 5.6 per 1000 person-years). Joint latent class modeling was used to identify different patterns of eGFR trajectory. Four distinct and non-linear trajectories of eGFR were identified: slow decline (84.3% of patients), curvilinear decline (6.5%), progressive decline (6.1%) and accelerated decline (3.1%). Microalbuminuria and retinopathy were associated with accelerated eGFR decline, which was itself associated with all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR] 6.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.6–8.4 for comparison with slow eGFR decline). Of 68 candidate genetic loci evaluated, the inclusion of five loci (rs11803049, rs911119, rs1933182, rs11123170, and rs889472) improved the prediction of eGFR trajectories (net reclassification improvement 0.232; 95% CI: 0.057-–0.406). Our study highlights substantial heterogeneity in the patterns of eGFR decline among patients with diabetic kidney disease, and identifies associated clinical and genetic factors that may help to identify those who are more likely to experience an accelerated decline in kidney function.

Nonalbuminuric diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become the prevailing DKD phenotype. We compared the risks of adverse outcomes among patients with this phenotype compared with other DKD phenotypes.Multicenter prospective cohort study.19,025 Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes enrolled in the Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank.DKD phenotypes defined by baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria: no DKD (no decreased eGFR or albuminuria), albuminuria without decreased eGFR, decreased eGFR without albuminuria, and albuminuria with decreased eGFR.All-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, hospitalization for heart failure (HF), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression (incident kidney failure or sustained eGFR reduction ≥40%).Multivariable Cox proportional or cause-specific hazards models to estimate the relative risks of death, CVD, hospitalization for HF, and CKD progression. Multiple imputation was used for missing covariates.Mean participant age was 61.1 years, 58.3% were male, and mean diabetes duration was 11.1 years. During 54,260 person-years of follow-up, 438 deaths, 1,076 CVD events, 298 hospitalizations for HF, and 1,161 episodes of CKD progression occurred. Compared with the no-DKD subgroup, the subgroup with decreased eGFR without albuminuria had higher risks of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.59 [95% CI, 1.04-2.44]), hospitalization for HF (HR, 3.08 [95% CI, 1.82-5.21]), and CKD progression (HR, 2.37 [95% CI, 1.63-3.43]), but the risk of CVD was not significantly greater (HR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.88-1.48]). The risks of death, CVD, hospitalization for HF, and CKD progression were higher in the setting of albuminuria with or without decreased eGFR. A sensitivity analysis that excluded participants with baseline eGFR 30 mL/min/1.73 mPotential misclassification because of drug use.Nonalbuminuric DKD was associated with higher risks of hospitalization for HF and of CKD progression than no DKD, regardless of baseline eGFR.

Few studies have investigated the relationship between rLTL and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes in a large prospective study, particularly in the Asian population. This study investigates the relationship between rLTL and the risk of death in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.Consecutive Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (N = 5349) from the Hong Kong Diabetes Register with stored baseline DNA and available follow-up data were studied. rLTL was measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Mortality and clinical outcomes were obtained based on ICD-9 codes.The mean (SD) age of the subjects was 57.5 (13.3) years and mean (SD) follow-up duration was 13.4 (5.5) years. Baseline rLTL was significantly shorter in the 1925 subjects who subsequently died compared with the remaining subjects (4.3 ± 1.2 vs. 4.7 ± 1.2, P 0.001). Shorter rLTL was associated with a higher risk of mortality (HR: 1.19 (1.14-1.23), P 0.001), which remained significant after adjusting for traditional risk factors.Shorter rLTL was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes, independent of established risk factors. Telomere length may be a useful biomarker for mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Several studies support potential links between relative leukocyte telomere length (rLTL), a biomarker of biological aging, and type 2 diabetes. This study investigates relationships between rLTL and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Consecutive Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (N = 5,349) from the Hong Kong Diabetes Register for whom DNA obtained at baseline was stored and follow-up data were available were studied. rLTL was measured by using quantitative PCR. CVD was diagnosed on the basis of ICD-9 code. RESULTS Mean follow-up was 13.4 years (SD 5.5 years). rLTL was correlated inversely with age, diabetes duration, blood pressure, HbA1c, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), and positively with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (all P < 0.001). Subjects with CVD at baseline had a shorter rLTL (4.3 ± 1.2 ΔΔCt) than did subjects without CVD (4.6 ± 1.2 ΔΔCt) (P < 0.001). Of the 4,541 CVD-free subjects at baseline, the 1,140 who developed CVD during follow-up had a shorter rLTL (4.3 ± 1.2 ΔΔCt) than those who remained CVD-free after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, and albuminuria status (4.7 ± 1.2 ΔΔCt) (P < 0.001). In Cox regression models, shorter rLTL was associated with higher risk of incident CVD (for each unit decrease, hazard ratio 1.252 [95% CI 1.195–1.311], P < 0.001), which remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HbA1c, eGFR, and ACR (hazard ratio 1.141 [95% CI 1.084–1.200], P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS rLTL is significantly shorter in patients with type 2 diabetes and CVD, is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, and is independently associated with incident CVD. Telomere length may be a useful biomarker for CVD risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: There are recent claims that high dietary BCAA may improve insulin resistance although this conflicts with the recommendation that low protein/BCAA diet may confer renoprotection in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3-5. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has dysregulated energy metabolism where excessive BCAA intake can be harmful. We examined the risk association of BCAA and rate of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline in a prospective T2D cohort. Method: We measured serum BCAA in 2340 adults with CKD stages 1-2 at baseline with available stored sera. By using linear regression analysis, we examined the association of serum BCAA with annual change in eGFR, which was estimated from a linear mixed model using at least three eGFR measurements from baseline until the onset of CKD or data censored on June 2017. Results: In this study cohort with mean±SD follow-up of 10.0±5.3 years (age 55.2±11.2 years, BMI 25.4±4.3 kg/m2, HbA1c 7.6±1.7%, annual change in eGFR -1.37±1.28 ml/min/1.73m2), patients with incident CKD had higher serum BCAA (median [IQR]: 622.7 [540.3-730] vs. 595.8 [518.3-680.3] µM; P Conclusions: In Chinese T2D patients with CKD stages 1-2, high serum BCAA was independently associated with a modest decline in eGFR, suggesting the renoprotective effect of a low BCAA diet may be extended to early CKD with careful monitoring. Disclosure L. Lim: Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc. E.S. Lau: None. H. Lee: None. C.H. Tam: None. C.K. Lim: None. A. Luk: None. E. Chow: Research Support; Self; Powder Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sanofi-Aventis. R.C. Ma: Advisory Panel; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Pfizer Inc. Stock/Shareholder; Self; GemVCare. Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca. J.C. Chan: Board Member; Self; Asia Diabetes Foundation. Consultant; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lilly Diabetes, Medtronic, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Sanofi-Aventis. Research Support; Self; Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca, Lee Powder, Lilly Diabetes, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Ascensia Diabetes Care. Stock/Shareholder; Self; GemVCare. A.P. Kong: Advisory Panel; Self; Lilly Diabetes. Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Lilly Diabetes. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Abbott. Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Sanofi. Funding Hong Kong Society of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Reproduction; Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity

In order to identify novel pathways relevant to human Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD), we performed transcriptome profiling of i) biopsy-proven diabetic glomerulosclerosis (N=15); ii) hypertensive glomerulosclerosis (N=12); iii) non-DM nephrectomized kidneys (N=4). Laser microdissection of kidney or biopsy specimens was performed under direct visual control. Approximately 5-10 glomerulus and 20 randomly selected tubulointerstitial areas were isolated from each specimen. Total RNA was extracted from isolated glomeruli and tubulointerstitial tissues, and sequenced using the SMARTer stranded RNA-Seq kit with Ribo Zero treatment and Novaseq6000, generating 32∼111 million 101 bp paired-end reads per sample. Overall, there was significant overlap between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both glomeruli and tubulointerstitial areas from diabetic glomerulosclerosis and hypertensive glomerulosclerosis. We identified 524 genes which showed significant increased gene expression in glomeruli in both diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and hypertensive glomerulosclerosis (HTN) compared to controls, with an additional 611 genes increased specifically in DKD and 37 in HTN compared to controls. 868 genes showed significant decrease in gene expression in glomeruli in both DKD and HTN compared to controls, with another 688 genes decreased in DKD and 88 in HTN vs. controls. Similar trends were observed for DEGs in renal tubuloinsterstitium in DKD and HTN. Several podocyte-specific genes showed reduced expression in DKD. HSPA1A, a heat shock protein, showed marked reduction in expression in DKD glomeruli vs. control (Log2 fold change -3.87, padj =1.29x10-10), as well as HTN vs. controls (Log2 fold change -3.65, padj =1.57x10-9). KEGG pathway analysis noted enrichment of MAPK signaling pathway in DKD and HTN. Integration of transcriptome findings with EWAS and GWAS data is currently underway. Our study identified important pathways implicated in DKD. Disclosure R.C.W. Ma: Advisory Panel; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Pfizer Inc. Stock/Shareholder; Self; GemVCare. Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca. N. Jin: None. C. Luk: None. H. Lee: None. C.K. Lim: None. W. So: None. R.C. Chan: None. H.Y. Lan: None. C. Ng: None. J.C. Chan: Board Member; Self; Asia Diabetes Foundation. Consultant; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lilly Diabetes, Medtronic, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Sanofi-Aventis. Research Support; Self; Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca, Lee Powder, Lilly Diabetes, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Ascensia Diabetes Care. Stock/Shareholder; Self; GemVCare. T. Chan: Board Member; Self; Codex Genetics Limited. C. Szeto: None. Funding Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (T12-402/13N); Chinese University of Hong Kong

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with increased metabolic risk, though data on long-term follow-up of cardiometabolic traits are limited. We postulated that Chinese women with PCOS would have higher risk of incident diabetes and cardiometabolic abnormalities than those without PCOS during long-term follow-up. Methods and findings One hundred ninety-nine Chinese women with PCOS diagnosed by the Rotterdam criteria and with a mean age of 41.2 years (SD = 6.4) completed a follow-up evaluation after an average of 10.6 ± 1.3 years. Two hundred twenty-five women without PCOS (mean age: 54.1 ± 6.7 years) who underwent baseline and follow-up evaluation over the same period were used for comparison. Progression of glycaemic status of women both with and without PCOS was assessed by using 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) screening with the adoption of 2009 American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria. The frequency of impaired glucose regulation, hypertension, and hyperlipidaemia of women with PCOS at follow-up has increased from 31.7% (95% CI 25.2%–38.1%) to 47.2% (95% CI 40.3%–54.2%), 16.1% (95% CI 11.0%–21.2%) to 34.7% (95% CI 28.1%–41.3%), and 52.3% (95% CI 45.3%–59.2%) to 64.3% (95% CI 57.7%–71.0%), respectively. The cumulative incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in follow-up women with PCOS is 26.1% (95% CI 20.0%–32.2%), almost double that in the cohort of women without PCOS (p < 0.001). Age-standardised incidence of diabetes among women with PCOS was 22.12 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI 10.86–33.37) compared with the local female population incidence rate of 8.76 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI 8.72–8.80) and 10.09 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI 4.92–15.26, p < 0.001) for women without PCOS in our study. Incidence rate for women with PCOS aged 30–39 years was 20.56 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI 12.57–31.87), which is approximately 10-fold higher than that of the age-matched general female population in Hong Kong (1.88 per 1,000 person-years, [95% CI 1.85–1.92]). The incidence rate of type 2 DM (T2DM) of both normal-weight and overweight women with PCOS was around double that of corresponding control groups (normal weight: 8.96 [95% CI 3.92–17.72] versus 4.86 per 1,000 person-years [95% CI 2.13–9.62], p > 0.05; overweight/obese: 28.64 [95% CI 19.55–40.60] versus 14.1 per 1,000 person-years [95% CI 8.20–22.76], p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified that baseline waist-to-hip ratio (odds ratio [OR] = 1.71 [95% CI 1.08–2.69], p < 0.05) and elevated triglyceride (OR = 6.63 [95% CI 1.23–35.69], p < 0.05) are associated with the progression to T2DM in PCOS. Limitations of this study include moderate sample size with limited number of incident diabetes during follow-up period and potential selection bias. Conclusions High risk of diabetes and increased cardiovascular disease risk factors among Chinese women with PCOS are highlighted in this long-term follow-up study. Diabetes onset was, on average, 10 years earlier among women with PCOS than in women without PCOS., Ronald Ching Wan Ma and colleagues reveal the higher incidence of diabetes and CVD in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome., Author summary Why was this study done? Besides reproductive abnormality, it is known that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at high risk of metabolic complications, such as insulin resistance (IR), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The majority of the accessible longitudinal studies regarding the progression of T2DM in women with PCOS are from the United States, Australia, and Europe. Previous studies have mainly relied on self-report of diabetes status or linkage through national patient registries, which might underestimate the prevalence and incident rate of T2DM in women with PCOS. What did the researchers do and find? During 2016–2017, we prospectively investigated the progression of glycaemic status among 199 Chinese women with PCOS and compared the data with those of 242 women without PCOS by using oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for comprehensive glycaemic status screening. We found that the age-standardised incidence rate of T2DM among women with PCOS was around 2.5-fold higher compared with the local female population incidence rate. We noted that the incidence rate of T2DM of both normal-weight and overweight women with PCOS was around double that of respective control groups. This is a key controversial area in international literature and differs from data on individuals of European descent. Diabetes onset was, on average, 10 years earlier among women with PCOS than in women without PCOS. Chinese women with PCOS were at 6-fold higher risk of developing T2DM compared with those without PCOS. High waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), elevated triglyceride, and presence of hyperandrogenism are associated with the progression to T2DM in PCOS. What do these findings mean? This study highlighted the risk of diabetes and metabolic abnormalities in women with PCOS. The study has shed some light on the potential burden of young-onset diabetes associated with PCOS. This work has already been considered in the recent international guidelines, suggesting the clinical relevance of this work. Our data provide useful insights that universal screening should be considered in all Chinese adult women with PCOS. Our data suggested WHR, elevated triglyceride, and hyperandrogenism are associated with the progression to T2DM in PCOS, although we were unable to explore relationships with IR. Therefore, further research is clearly warranted.

OBJECTIVE Young-onset diabetes is heterogeneous in etiology and disease progression. We compared the incidence of diabetes-related complications and mortality in patients with young-onset type 2 diabetes with or without anti-GAD antibodies and patients with type 1 diabetes. We determined changes in glycemic control before and after commencement of insulin therapy stratified by antibody status. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Between 1994 and 2012, 1,504 consecutively enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes who had received a diagnosis at RESULTS Anti-GAD antibodies were positive in 8.1% of patients with type 2 diabetes (GAD+). By multivariate Cox regression, patients with GAD+ had a lower hazard of CVD (hazard ratio [HR] 0.43, P = 0.048), a higher hazard of severe hypoglycemia (HR 1.63, P = 0.032), and a similar hazard of ESRD and mortality compared with counterparts without anti-GAD antibodies (GAD−). Compared with patients with type 1 diabetes, ESRD was more likely to develop (HR 2.91, P = 0.043) in patients with GAD+, but no differences were detected in the hazards of severe hypoglycemia, CVD, and mortality. Among new insulin users (n = 304), patients with GAD+ had larger reductions in HbA1c than patients with GAD−after 12 months of insulin use (−2.30 ± 3.80% [25 ± 42 mmol/mol] vs −0.72 ± 1.86% [8 ± 20 mmol/mol], P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Anti-GAD positivity identifies a group of patients with a different prognosis compared with patients without antibodies and those with type 1 diabetes. Patients with GAD+ responded differently to insulin compared with patients with GAD−.

Objectives: We aimed to identify novel serum micro(mi)RNAs associated with incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Chinese with type 2 diabetes. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study in patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled in the Hong Kong Diabetes Registry between 1995 and 2007. Cases were patients who were free from ESRD at enrolment but developed renal endpoint as defined as eGFR < 15 ml/min/1.73m2 or dialysis during follow-up until 2015. Controls were patients who had normal renal function at both baseline and during observation period. MicroRNAs were extracted from stored serum collected at baseline. Discovery cohort included 22 cases and 21 controls and miRNAs were screened by Agilent microRNA microarray. Validation cohort included 361 ESRD cases and 241 T2D controls and miRNAs were quantitated using qRT-PCR. Two spike-in miRNAs were used to control for efficiency in RNA extraction and reverse transcription. Batch difference was adjusted by a positive RNA control. Results: In the discovery analysis, miR-X and miR-Y were elevated with respective fold-change of 5.97 and 4.43 in patients with incident ESRD compared to those without renal events on follow-up. Pathway analysis revealed that the two miRNAs may involve in signaling transduction, adrenergic signaling, or relate to peroxisome. Increased levels of miR-X and miR-Y were also detected in the validation cohort. Using binary logistic regression adjusted for age, sex and disease duration, doubling of miR-X and miR-Y were associated with 14.2% and 26.3% higher odds of progressing to ESRD, respectively. The association remained significant for miR-Y when further adjusted for metabolic indices, baseline albuminuria and eGFR. Conclusions: Baseline serum levels of miR-X and miR-Y are independently associated with higher risk of incident ESRD. These results indicate the potential of circulating miRNAs to serve as prognostic indicators for disease progression. Disclosure B. Fan: None. H. Lee: None. C.K.P. Lim: None. R. Choy: None. J.C. Chan: Consultant; Self; Bayer AG. Other Relationship; Self; Bayer AG. Consultant; Self; Sanofi. Other Relationship; Self; Sanofi, Eli Lilly and Company, Amgen Inc.. Consultant; Self; AstraZeneca, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer Inc.. Other Relationship; Self; Pfizer Inc.. Board Member; Self; Asia Diabetes Foundation. Stock/Shareholder; Self; GemVCare. Other Relationship; Self; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.. Consultant; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novartis AG, Eli Lilly and Company. A. Luk: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Research Support; Self; Sanofi. R.C. Ma: Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Pfizer Inc.. Advisory Panel; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co. Ltd..

The present study examined the adequacy of a three-item parent questionnaire in determining the zygosity of young Chinese twins and whether there was any association between parent response accuracy and some demographic variables. The sample consisted of 334 pairs of same-sex Chinese twins aged from 3 to 11 years. Three scoring methods, namely the summed score, logistic regression, and decision tree, were employed to evaluate parent response accuracy of twin zygosity based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) information. The results showed that all three methods achieved high level of accuracy ranging from 91 to 93 % which was comparable to the accuracy rates in previous Chinese twin studies. Correlation results also showed that the higher the parents’ education level or the family income was, the more likely parents were able to tell correctly that their twins are identical or fraternal. The present findings confirmed the validity of using a three-item parent questionnaire to determine twin zygosity in a Chinese school-aged twin sample.

AIM Current evidence relating testosterone to cardiovascular disease and mortality is inconclusive. Cellular effects of testosterone are mediated by androgen receptor and longer receptor gene CAG repeat length correlates with reduced transcriptional activity. We investigated the independent and interactive association of total testosterone and CAG repeat length with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality in Chinese men with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS From March 2008 and February 2009, 474 men with diabetes underwent structured clinical assessment including genotyping for CAG repeat length. Patients were followed for new-onset CVD, CKD defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate

Background: A new strain of coronavirus (CoV) has caused an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with 8098 individuals being infected and 774 deaths worldwide. We carried out protein chip array profiling analysis in an attempt to identify biomarkers that might be useful in monitoring the clinical course of SARS patients. Methods: We performed surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry on 89 sera collected from 28 SARS patients, 72 sera from 51 control patients with various viral or bacterial infections, and 10 sera from apparently healthy individuals. Results: Nine significantly increased and three significantly decreased serum biomarkers were discovered in the SARS patients compared with the controls. Among these biomarkers, one (11 695 Da) was identified to be serum amyloid A (SAA) protein by peptide mapping and tandem mass spectrometric analysis. When we monitored the SAA concentrations longitudinally in 45 sera from four SARS patients, we found a good correlation of SAA concentration with the extent of pneumonia as assessed by a serial chest x-ray opacity score. Increased SAA occurred in three of four patients at the time of extensive pneumonia as indicated by high x-ray scores. Over the course of gradual recovery in two patients, as assessed clinically and radiologically, SAA concentrations gradually decreased. In the third patient, the concentrations were initially increased, but were further increased with superimposed multiple bacterial infections. SAA was not markedly increased in the fourth patient, who had low x-ray scores and whose clinical course was relatively mild. Conclusions: Protein chip array profiling analysis could be potentially useful in monitoring the severity of disease in SARS patients.

Purpose: Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a common cancer in Hong Kong, and relapse can occur frequently. Using protein chip profiling analysis, we aimed to identify serum biomarkers that were useful in the diagnosis of relapse in NPC. Experimental Design: Profiling analysis was performed on 704 sera collected from 42 NPC patients, 39 lung cancer patients, 30 patients with the benign metabolic disorder thyrotoxicosis (TX), and 35 normal individuals (NM). Protein profile in each NPC patient during clinical follow up was correlated with the relapse status. Results: Profiling analysis identified two biomarkers with molecular masses of 11.6 and 11.8 kDa, which were significantly elevated in 22 of 31 (71%) and 21 of 31 (68%) NPC patients, respectively, at the time of relapse (RP) as compared with 11 patients in complete remission (CR; RP versus CR, P = 0.009), 30 TX (RP versus TX, P < 0.001), or 35 NM (RP versus NM, P < 0.001). The markers were also elevated in 16 of 39 (41%) lung cancer patients at initial diagnosis. By tryptic digestion, followed by tandem mass spectrometry fragmentation, the markers were identified as two isoforms of serum amyloid A (SAA) protein. Monitoring the patients longitudinally for SAA level both by protein chip and immunoassay showed a dramatic SAA increase, which correlated with relapse and a drastic fall correlated with response to salvage chemotherapy. Serum SAA findings were compared with those of serum Epstein-Barr virus DNA in three relapsed patients showing a similar correlation with relapse and chemo-response. Conclusions: SAA could be a useful biomarker to monitor relapse of NPC.

Increasing evidence indicates that developmental dyslexia (DD) is a "disconnection syndrome", and new probes of connectome were applied to investigate the "disconnection" in DD. However, there is a lack of brain connectome studies of Chinese dyslexics, who may have a different neural impairment pattern due to the logographic nature of Chinese. The aim of this study was to investigate the topological organization characteristics of the DD brain using a structural network based analysis on the volumetric covariance, which is a method with the advantage of reflecting brain developmental changes. Twenty-five children diagnosed with DD and twenty-five typically developing controls were included. The structural networks based on the pair-wise correlation of gray matter volume from 90 brain regions were constructed for the two groups and compared. Compared to controls, the structural network of dyslexic children exhibited significantly increased local efficiency combined with a tendency of decreased global efficiency and prolonged characteristic path length, thus reflecting a more locally specialized topological organization. Two brain areas showed significantly altered local regional network properties: the left precentral gyrus with increased bi, and the right Heschl's gyrus with decreased bi and ki. Moreover, a series of hub regions (especially the right fronto-temporal regions) identified in the network of typically developing children were not presented in the brain of DD. To our knowledge, this is the first whole-brain structural network study on Chinese dyslexics. This study provides evidence of brain topological organization changes in Chinese children with DD, and thus may help shed light on its neurobiological basis.

Background: Dyslexia is a learning disability that is characterized by difficulties in the acquisition of reading and spelling skills independent of intelligence, motivation or schooling. Studies of western populations have suggested that DYX1C1 is a candidate gene for dyslexia. In view of the different languages used in Caucasian and Chinese populations, it is therefore worthwhile to investigate whether there is an association of DYX1C1 in Chinese children with dyslexia.Method and Results: Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped from three hundred and ninety three individuals from 131 Chinese families with two which have been reported in the literature and six tag SNPs at DYX1C1. Analysis for allelic and haplotypic associations was performed with the UNPHASED program and multiple testing was corrected using false discovery rates. We replicated the previously reported association of rs3743205 in Chinese children with dyslexia (p corrected = 0.0072). This SNP was also associated with rapid naming, phonological memory and orthographic skills in quantitative trait analysis.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that DYX1C1 is associated with dyslexia in people of Chinese ethnicity in Hong Kong. © 2011 Lim et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd., published_or_final_version

CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotypes could be used to predict warfarin requirement. The objective was to develop and validate a warfarin dosing algorithm using genetic, clinical and demographic data of Chinese patients from an anticoagulation clinic in Hong Kong. Blood samples were collected from 100 patients on stable maintenance dose of warfarin, recruited from an anticoagulation clinic, for genotyping CYP2C9 and VKORC1. Clinical and demographic data were obtained by face-to-face interview and medical chart review. Data of 80 patients (study cohort) were randomly selected for deriving a dosing algorithm. Comparison between predicted dose and actual stable doses was conducted in a validation cohort (n = 20). Sixty-nine (69%) of all 100 patients were homozygous for VKORC1 1173-TT, 25 (25%) were VKORC1 1173-CT heterozygotes and six (6%) were homozygous for VKORC1 1173-CC. 6 (6%) patients were CYP2C9 1*/3* and 94 (94%) were CYP2C9 1*/1*. CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotype, age, weight and vitamin K intake were identified by stepwise regression modelling to produce the best model for estimating warfarin dose (R (2) = 68%, P0.001). In the validation cohort (n = 20), actual stable dose was significantly associated with predicted dose (R = 0.6, P = 0.005). Five of 11 (45.6%) and 5/9 (55.6%) patients whose mean warfarin requirements were ≤ 3 mg/day and3 mg/day, respectively, were within20% of actual doses. In conclusion, a genotype-guided dosing algorithm for warfarin therapy was developed for Chinese patients to explain 68% of dosage variation. The predicted doses differed from the actual doses by no more than 20% in 50% of patients.

By cDNA microarray, gene expression profiling was carried out in 360 paired tumor & normal biopsies from 60 nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients at 3 time points, namely, at diagnosis of NPC, on treatment with an anti-inflammatory drug, Celecoxib (Celec) and on radiotherapy (RT). We found 1 cluster of 82 transcripts with statistically significant difference in expression between tumor & normal tissues at diagnosis, a second cluster of 214 tumor versus normal transcripts on Celec treatment and finally a third cluster of 202 tumor versus normal transcripts on RT. Differential expression of selected tumor associated transcripts was confirmed by RT-PCR. These include 8 tumor up-regulated transcripts with 3 encoding for immunological/inflammatory molecules, IL8, CXCL9 & CXCL10, 1 matrix metallopeptidase, MMP12, which breaks down extracellular matrix and thus is associated with cancer metastasis, 1 osteonectin protein which is involved in cell shape changes and thus related to cancer invasion, SPARC, 1 bone morphogenic protein with a role in tissue differentiation, GREM1, 1 GTPase-activating protein for phorbol ester receptor, CHN1 and a sorting nexin family member with a role in intracellular trafficking, SNX10. Genes which were prominently down-regulated in tumor were a variety of polymorphic xenobiotic detoxification enzyme genes or genes with antioxidant function (e.g. GSTA1, GSTA2, GSTA3, CYP4B1, ALDH1A1, ADHFE1, MAOB, NQO1 & OAT). Many genes were also down-regulated by RT in tumor tissues and one notable example was TOP2A which encodes topoisomerase 2A involving in chromosome condensation & chromatid separation during DNA replication, CLDN1 which has tight junction adhesion function, ANLN which is required for cytokinesis, and STMN1 which can regulate microtubule filament. These genes had good potential in applying for clinical applications in diagnosis or treatment of NPC in the future. Further exploration of the clinical applications of these genes is underway. Citation Format: Timothy T.C. Yip, Dora L.W. Kwong, Roger K.C. Ngan, Cadmon K.P. Lim, Wai-Wai Cheng, Victor W.S. Ma, Stephen C.K. Law, Loretta Tse. Differential transcript expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by cDNA microarray analysis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3903. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3903

By cDNA microarray, expression profiling was carried out in 360 paired tumor & normal biopsies from 60 nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients at 3 time points, namely, at diagnosis of NPC, on treatment with an anti-inflammatory drug, Celecoxib (Celec) and on radiotherapy (RT). We found 1 cluster of 82 transcripts with statistically significant difference in expression between tumor & normal tissues at diagnosis, a second cluster of 214 tumor versus normal transcripts on Celec treatment and finally a third cluster of 202 tumor versus normal transcripts on RT. Differential expression of selected tumor associated transcripts was confirmed by RT-PCR. These include 8 tumor up-regulated transcripts with 3 encoding for immunological/inflammatory molecules, IL8, CXCL9 & CXCL10, 1 matrix metallopeptidase, MMP12, which break down extracellular matrix and thus is associated with cancer metastasis, 1 osteonectin protein which is involved in cell shape changes and thus related to cancer invasion, SPARC, 1 bone morphogenic protein with a role in tissue differentiation, GREM1, 1 GTPase-activating protein for phorbol ester receptor, CHN1 and a sorting nexin family member with a role in intracellular trafficking, SNX10. Genes which were prominently down-regulated in tumor were a variety of polymorphic xenobiotic detoxification enzyme genes or genes with antioxidant function (e.g. GSTA1, GSTA2, GSTA3, CYP4B1, ALDH1A1, ADHFE1, MAOB, NQO1 & OAT) which can detoxify carcinogens or other harmful chemicals or have anti-oxidant effects. Many genes were also down-regulated by RT in tumor tissues and one notable example was TOP2A which encodes topoisomerase 2A involving in chromosome condensation & chromatid separation during DNA replication, CLDN1 which has tight junction adhesion function, ANLN which is required for cytokinesis, and STMN1 which can regulate microtubule filament. These genes had good potential in applying for clinical applications in diagnosis or treatment of NPC in the future. Further exploration of the clinical applications of these genes is underway. Citation Format: Timothy T.C. Yip, Dora L.W. Kwong, Roger K.C. Ngan, Cadmon K.P. Lim, Wai Wai Cheng, Victor W.S. Ma, Stephen C.K. Law, Loretta Tse. Differential transcript expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by cDNA microarray analysis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3437. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3437

Previous studies have shown that KIAA0319 is a candidate gene for dyslexia in western populations. In view of the different languages used in Caucasian and Chinese populations, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether there is also an association of KIAA0319 in Chinese children with dyslexia and/or to the language-related cognitive skills. A total of twenty six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped from three hundred and ninety three individuals from 131 Chinese families. Four of the SNPs have been reported in the literature and twenty two being tag SNPs at KIAA0319. Analysis for allelic and haplotypic associations was performed with the UNPHASED program and multiple testing was corrected using permutation. Results indicate that KIAA0319 is not associated with Chinese children with dyslexia but a haplotype consisting of rs2760157 and rs807507 SNPs were significantly associated with an onset detection test, a measure of phonological awareness (p nominal = 6.85 10 -5 and p corrected = 0.0029). In conclusion, our findings suggest that KIAA0319 is associated with a reading-related cognitive skill.