OBJECTIVE -Serum triglyceride levels are important in the development of atherosclerosis. Although triglyceride levels are generally increased in the postprandial periods, the association between postprandial triglyceride (pTG) levels and atherosclerosis has not been investigated in diabetic patients. To investigate the role of pTG levels in atherosclerosis, we examined the correlation between pTG levels and carotid intimal-medial thickness (IMT).RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -Carotid IMT was measured by ultrasonography in 61 patients with type 2 diabetes. Plasma glucose (PG), insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol levels were measured after overnight fasting and 4 h after a meal.RESULTS -Carotid IMT of the patients with fasting hypertriglyceridemia was greater than that of the patients with normal fasting triglyceride (fTG) levels (0.85 ± 0.12 vs. 0.76 ± 0.14 mm; P = 0.02). The carotid IMT was increased in the patients with pTG levels Ͼ2.27 mmol/l. The normo-normo (NN) and normo-hyper (NH) groups consisted of patients with normal fTG levels but with pTG levels Ͻ2.27 and Ͼ2.27 mmol/l, respectively. Patients with both hypertriglyceridemia and pTG levels Ͼ2.27 mmol/l formed the hyper-hyper (HH) group. Carotid IMT was significantly increased in the NH (0.86 ± 0.13 mm) and HH (0.85 ± 0.12 mm) groups compared with the NN group (0.73 ± 0.13 mm; P Ͻ 0.01). Although postprandial PG, pTG, and fasting LDL cholesterol levels were all independently correlated with carotid IMT, pTG levels had the strongest statistical influence (P = 0.002).CONCLUSIONS -Postprandial hypertriglyceridemia despite normal fTG levels may be an independent risk factor for early atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes.

This study demonstrated the characteristic association of HLA-class II and class I genes with Type 1A diabetes among Japanese children. A TDT did not reveal the genomic imprinting of HLA-class II and class I genes in Type 1A diabetes.

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The FUT2 gene contributed to the development of Type 1 diabetes in the present cohort of Japanese children.