Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (SUNNY Trial): A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Low vitamin D status has been associated with impaired glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 275 adult patients with type 2 diabetes without insulin treatment. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin D3 (50,000 IU/month) or placebo for 6 months. To assess the primary outcome of the study, change in HbA(1c), we performed a linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Mean baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] increased from 60.6 ± 23.3 to 101.4 ± 27.6 nmol/L and 59.1 ± 23.2 to 59.8 ± 23.2 nmol/L in the vitamin D and placebo group, respectively. Mean baseline HbA(1c) was 6.8 ± 0.5% (51 ± 6 mmol/mol) in both groups. After 6 months, no effect was seen on HbA(1c) (mean difference: ß = 0.4 [95% CI -0.6 to 1.5]; P = 0.42) and other indicators of glycemic control (HOMA of insulin resistance, fasting insulin, and glucose) in the entire study population. Subgroup analysis in patients with a serum 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L or an HbA(1c) level >7% (53 mmol/mol) did not differ the results. CONCLUSIONS: In a well-controlled group of patients with type 2 diabetes, intermittent high-dose vitamin D supplementation did not improve glycemic control.

Thyroid function and the metabolic syndrome in older persons: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest an association between a high TSH and (individual components of) the metabolic syndrome. Only a few studies have been performed in the general older population. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the association between serum TSH and the metabolic syndrome in a representative sample of older persons in The Netherlands. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Data of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used, which is an ongoing cohort study in a representative sample of Dutch older persons. A total of 1187 subjects (590 men and 597 women) between the ages of 65 and 88 years participated in the study. MEASUREMENTS: Metabolic syndrome (US National Cholesterol Education Program definition) and its individual components were assessed, as well as serum TSH levels. RESULTS: Among the participants, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 34.2%. The mean serum TSH was 1.9 mU/l. Subjects in the upper quartile with a serum TSH level above 2.28 mU/l (odds ratio (OR)=1.68; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-2.37) had a significantly increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome compared with subjects in the lowest quartile with a serum TSH below 1.04 mU/l. After adjustment for confounders, age, sex, alcohol use, total physical activity, and smoking, the OR was 1.62 (95% CI 1.15-2.32). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with a serum TSH in the upper quartile have a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome as compared with subjects with a serum TSH in the lowest quartile.

Quantitative analysis of herpesvirus sequences from normal tissue and fibropapillomas of marine turtles with real-time PCR.

Quantitative real-time PCR has been used to measure fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus (FPTHV) pol DNA loads in fibropapillomas, fibromas, and uninvolved tissues of green, loggerhead, and olive ridley turtles from Hawaii, Florida, Costa Rica, Australia, Mexico, and the West Indies. The viral DNA loads from tumors obtained from terminal animals were relatively homogeneous (range 2-20 copies/cell), whereas DNA copy numbers from biopsied tumors and skin of otherwise healthy turtles displayed a wide variation (range 0.001-170 copies/cell) and may reflect the stage of tumor development. FPTHV DNA loads in tumors were 2.5-4.5 logs higher than in uninvolved skin from the same animal regardless of geographic location, further implying a role for FPTHV in the etiology of fibropapillomatosis. Although FPTHV pol sequences amplified from tumors are highly related to each other, single signature amino acid substitutions distinguish the Australia/Hawaii, Mexico/Costa Rica, and Florida/Caribbean groups.

Reporter gene expression in fish following cutaneous infection with pantropic retroviral vectors.

A central issue in gene delivery systems is choosing promoters that will direct defined and sustainable levels of gene expression. Pantropic retroviral vectors provide a means to insert genes into either somatic or germline cells. In this study, we focused on somatic cell infection by evaluating the activity of 3 promoters inserted by vectors into fish cell lines and fish skin using pantropic retroviruses. In bluegill and zebrafish cell lines, the highest levels of luciferase expression were observed from the 5' murine leukemia virus long terminal repeat of the retroviral vector. The Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat and cytomegalovirus early promoter, as internal promoters, generated lower levels of luciferase. Luciferase reporter vectors infected zebrafish skin, as measured by the presence of viral DNA, and expressed luciferase. We infected developing walleye dermal sarcomas with retroviral vectors to provide an environment with enhanced cell proliferation, a condition necessary for integration of the provirus into the host genome. We demonstrated a 4-fold to 7-fold increase in luciferase gene expression in tumor tissue over infections in normal walleye skin.

The incidence of enlarged chondrons in normal and osteoarthritic human cartilage and their relative matrix density.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitate changes in the pericellular matrix in osteoarthritic (OA) articular cartilage. DESIGN: Chondrons were enzymatically isolated from normal and OA human cartilage. The cross-sectional area of the chondrons were measured. After immunolabeling for keratan sulfate, type VI collagen and type II collagen, the relative matrix density was determined for different size classes of chondrons with quantitative fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: For individual chondrons, the average cross-sectional area (344+/-28 microm(2), mean+/-SE) for the normal specimens was significantly smaller than the average area (439+/-30 microm(2)) for the OA specimens. Using 496 microm(2) (mean+2 SD of the normal area) as the cut-off for enlarged chondrons, 33% of individual OA chondrons were enlarged compared to 16% for the normal. Chondrons under 300 microm(2) had a significantly higher density of keratan sulfate and type VI collagen than larger chondrons, while chondrons over 400 microm(2) had similar matrix densities. CONCLUSIONS: There is a higher incidence of enlarged chondrons in OA cartilage than in normal cartilage. The enlargement may initially be due to hydrodynamic swelling but further increases in size are due to increased matrix deposition.