FOXC2 mRNA Expression and a 5' Untranslated Region Polymorphism of the Gene Are Associated With Insulin Resistance.

• The human transcription factor FOXC2 has recently been shown to protect against diet-induced insulin resistance in transgenic mice. We investigated the expression of FOXC2 in fat and muscle and performed a genetic analysis in human subjects. FOXC2 mRNA levels were increased in visceral compared with subcutaneous fat from obese subjects (12 ± 4-fold; P = 0.0001), and there was a correlation between whole-body insulin sensitivity and FOXC2 mRNA levels in visceral fat (fS-insulin R = −0.64, P = 0.01, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] R = −0.68, P = 0.007) and skeletal muscle (fS-insulin R = −0.57, P = 0.03, and HOMA-IR R = −0.55, P = 0.04). Mutation screening of the FOXC2 gene identified a common polymorphism in the 5′ untranslated region (C-512T). The T allele was associated with enhanced insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR P = 0.007) and lower plasma triglyceride levels in females (P = 0.007). Also, the higher expression of FOXC2 in visceral than in subcutaneous fat was restricted to subjects homozygous for the T allele (P = 0.03 vs. P = 0.7). Our data suggest that increased FOXC2 expression may protect against insulin resistance in human subjects and that genetic variability in the gene may influence features associated with the metabolic syndrome.

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MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Endokrinologi och diabetes (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Endocrinology and Diabetes (hsv//eng)

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