PET‐CT using 18F‐FDG is employed for detecting brown adipose tissue (BAT) in humans. Alternative methods are needed because of the radiation and cost of PET‐CT imaging. The aim was to evaluate the accuracy of infrared thermography (IRT) in detecting human BAT benchmarked to PET‐CT imaging. Seventeen individuals underwent a total of 29 PET‐CT scans, 12 of whom were studied twice, after 2 h of cold stimulation at 19°C, in parallel with measurement of skin temperatures overlying the supraclavicular (SCV) fossa and the lateral upper chest (control), before and after cold stimulation. Of the 29 scans, 20 were BAT positive after cold stimulation. The mean left SCV temperature tended to be higher in the BAT‐positive group before and during cooling. It was significantly higher (P =0.04) than the temperature of the control area, which fell significantly during cooling in the BAT‐positive (−1.2 ± 0.3°C, P =0.002) but not in the negative (−0.2 ± 0.4°C) group. The temperature difference (Δtemp) between left SCV and chest increased during cooling in the BAT‐positive (1.2 ± 0.2 to 2.0 ± 0.3°C, P <0.002) but not in the negative group (0.6 ± 0.1 to 0.7 ± 0.1°C). A Δtemp of 0.9°C conferred a positive predictive value of 85% for SCV BAT, superior to that of SCV temperature. The findings were similar on the right. In conclusion, the Δtemp is significantly and consistently greater in BAT‐positive subjects. The Δtemp quantified by IRT after 2‐h cooling shows promise as a noninvasive convenient technique for studying SCV BAT function.

AimsTo determine the frequencies of the variant alleles and the genotypes of CYP2C9 in a Korean population. MethodsThree hundred and fifty-eight healthy Korean subjects were studied. CYP2C9 alleles were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment leng th polymorphism assays and direct sequencing assays. ResultsThe allele frequencies were 0.934 for CYP2C9 * 1 , 0.060 for CYP2C9 * 3 and 0.006 for CYP2C9 * 13 . The CYP2C9*2, * 4, * 5 and * 11 alleles were not detected. The frequencies of the CYP2C9 * 1/ * 1 , * 1/ * 3 and * 1/ * 13 genotypes were 0.869, 0.120 and 0.011, respectively. ConclusionThe frequency of the CYP2C9 * 3 allele in the Korean population studied was significantly higher than reported elsewhere, and a novel allele, CYP2C9 * 13 , was found at a frequency of 0.006 (95% confidence interval 0, 0.012). Only three genotypes of CYP2C9, CYP2C9

Prolonged exposure to glucocorticoid suppresses the function of human BAT. The enhancement of energy production and lipogenesis in the face of reduced dissipation of energy as heat suggests that glucocorticoids channel energy towards fat storage after nutrient intake. This is a novel mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced obesity.