Deoxyribonucleic acid telomere length shortening can predict the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
AIMS/INTRODUCTION
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.


MATERIALS AND 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.
['Ping|Fan|F|', 'Li|Zeng-Yi|ZY|', 'Lv|Ke|K|', 'Zhou|Mei-Cen|MC|', 'Dong|Ya-Xiu|YX|', 'Sun|Qi|Q|', 'Li|Yu-Xiu|YX|']
D000368:Aged D004247:DNA D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 D006801:Humans D015994:Incidence D007333:Insulin Resistance D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells D008055:Lipids D008875:Middle Aged D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease D011446:Prospective Studies D012307:Risk Factors D016615:Telomere
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Type 2 diabetes mellitus Telomere shortening