The Khatri Sikh Diabetes Study (SDS): study design, methodology, sample collection, and initial results
Dharambir K Sanghera1, Jaswinder S Bhatti, Gurjit K Bhatti
1Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
Human Biology
|August 12, 2006
Summary
Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a growing public health issue in India, with unique risk factors in Asian Indian populations. The Sikh Diabetes Study established resources to investigate the genetic epidemiology of T2DM in this community.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes, T2DM) poses a significant public health challenge in India.
- The high prevalence, early onset, and familial clustering of T2DM in some Indian communities are not fully understood.
- Traditional European risk factors for T2DM are often absent in Asian Indians.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish population resources for a large-scale genetic epidemiological study of T2DM.
- To investigate the genetic underpinnings of T2DM in the Khatri Sikh population of North India.
Main Methods:
- Phase I of the Sikh Diabetes Study (SDS) enrolled 1,892 subjects from 324 families with at least two affected siblings.
- The study included 1,288 individuals with T2DM and 335 unaffected relatives.
- 269 unrelated non-diabetic controls were also recruited.
Main Results:
- The study focused on a primarily nonvegetarian, nonsmoking, endogamous caste group.
- This population exhibits an unusual clinical profile with uneven adiposity distribution and high rates of T2DM and its complications.
- The characterized population isolate offers potential for mapping genes associated with complex diseases.
Conclusions:
- The Sikh Diabetes Study has successfully built essential resources for genetic research into T2DM.
- This well-defined population isolate provides a unique opportunity to identify genetic factors contributing to T2DM in Asian Indians.
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