TCF7L2 expression in diabetic patients undergoing bariatric surgery.
BACKGROUND
The cause of diabetes in morbidly obese patients is multifactorial, including genetic, social, and dietary components. Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) is a gene that is related to the development of diabetes. This pilot study examines TCF7L2 expression in liver samples obtained from morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. TCF7L2 expression is compared between diabetic and nondiabetic patients.


METHODS
Liver samples were obtained from 20 morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Samples were flash frozen in liquid nitrogen. Total RNA was extracted from tissue samples using the TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen Inc, Carlsbad, CA). Using the iScript cDNA synthesis kit (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules,CA), cDNA was synthesized. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was done using SYBR Green qPCR Reagents (Stratagene, Cedar Creek TX) and the 7300 Real-Time PCR system (Applied Biosystems, Foster City CA). Preoperative demographic and gene expression data were correlated using univariate analysis and logistic regression models. Only associations with a p-value less than 0.05 were considered significant.


RESULTS
For the entire group, there was no correlation between body mass index (BMI) and TCF7L2 expression. In morbidly obese nondiabetic patients, there was a positive correlation between TCF7L2 expression and BMI (R(2)=0.21). In morbidly obese diabetic patients, there was an inverse correlation between TCF7L2 expression and BMI (R(2)=0.58). There was no significant relationship between TCF7L2 expression and age or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c).


CONCLUSIONS
The cause of diabetes is multifactorial but the data from our pilot study documents the relationship of TCF7L2 with type 2 diabetes in morbidly obese patients.
Hindle
A Katharine
AK
Department of Surgery, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Brody
Fred
F
Tevar
Rahul
R
Kluk
Brian
B
Hill
Sarah
S
McCaffrey
Timothy
T
Fu
Sidney
S
D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D058118:Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Protein; D055815:Young Adult
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D012313:RNA; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D058118:Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Protein; C544894:TCF7L2 protein, human