title: Deoxyribonucleic acid telomere length shortening can predict the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of telomere shortening and other predictive factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a 6-year prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 70 type 2 diabetes mellitus (mean age 57.8 ± 6.7 years) patients without NAFLD were included in the study, and 64 of them were successfully followed up 6 years later, excluding four cases with significant alcohol consumption. NAFLD was diagnosed by the hepatorenal ratio obtained by a quantitative ultrasound method using NIH image analysis software. The 39 individuals that developed NAFLD were allocated to group A, and the 21 individuals that did not develop NAFLD were allocated to group B. Fluorescent real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure telomere length.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the two groups in baseline telomere length; however, at the end of the 6th year, telomere length had become shorter in group A compared with group B. There were significant differences between these two groups in baseline body mass index, waistline, systolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin and fasting C-peptide level. In addition, the estimated indices of baseline insulin resistance increased in group A. Fasting insulin level, body mass index, systolic blood pressure at baseline and the shortening of telomere length were independent risk factors of NAFLD in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telomere length became shorter in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who developed NAFLD over the course of 6 years. Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who developed NAFLD had more serious insulin resistance compared with those who did not develop NAFLD a long time ago.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.affiliation: Nanyang City Center Hospital, Nanyang, Henan Province, China.
authors.forename: Zeng-Yi
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Cen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Xiu
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Xiu
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D004247:DNA
keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Telomere shortening; Type 2 diabetes mellitus