University of Bialystok

The aim of the project is to create a new, non-invasive and safe protocol for the early diagnosis of various types of optic neuropathies with the use of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging

The project aims at assessment of the effect of the FTO gene polymorphism and the type of treatment on the development of overweight/obesity and features of metabolic syndrome in children with type 1 diabetes.
Gene polymorphism including some genetic variants may predispose to the development of cardiovascular diseases and their complications. The A allele of the FTO gene predisposing to obesity occurs in approximately 40% of the European population and each copy of this allele can increase BMI by 0.1 Z-score i.e. by 0.4 kg/m2. Insulin therapy in diabetic patients may result in excess body weight gain. Therefore we need studies involving large groups of children and assessing cardiovascular risk factors in type 1 diabetes along with their genetic associations.
Patients: The study will include 1500 children with type 1 diabetes, aged 6-18 years. Reference group will be made of 1500 children in whom type 1 diabetes was excluded. The following variables will be assessed in the treatment group: 1) Anthropometric data and questionnaire data: age, sex, body height and weight, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, arm and thigh circumferences, family history of overweight/obesity, type 1 or 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, 2) Primary disease characteristics: age of the disease onset, treatment regimen, mean daily insulin consumption per kg body weight, brands of insulin products, glycated haemoglobin, BMI from the first 3-6 months following diabetes onset, diet, conversion of these data into actual and ideal calorie intake 3) Laboratory data - lipid profile and blood pressure (average of three measurements). Methodology: Gene polymorphism analysis in the extracted DNA will be made with the real-time PCR method using TaqMan 7900 HT by Applied Biosystems. Correlations between the FTO gene polymorphism and clinical variables such as BMI (including BMI increase since the disease onset), body weight and height, waist and hip circumferences, arm and thigh circumferences, and blood pressure will be assessed by a professional statistician with a specially dedicated software. Moreover parameters such as diet and metabolic control will be assessed. As regards insulin therapy the following variables will be analysed: insulin injection device, therapy regimen (intensive versus functional; brands and types of insulin products: human insulin versus insulin analogue), consumption of insulin. All of the above listed variables will be correlated with the genotypes found in the gene polymorphism analysis. The study has been approved by Bioethics Committee of the Medical University in Białystok.
Results: The authors of the project expect that the effect of the FTO gene polymorphism on overweight/obesity and features of metabolic syndrome in children with type 1 diabetes will be shown. Moreover the project will enable assessment of the effect of the therapeutic regimen, including the type of insulin product, on body weight increase in the course of type 1 diabetes treatment in the context of the FTO gene polymorphism. Confirmation of the above associations and identification of a group at risk of excess body weight increase in the course of insulin therapy may help physicians, parents and patients to avoid this complication. Therefore clinical benefit of this project will include identification - based on the genetic assays results - of a group of type 1 diabetic children particularly likely to develop overweight, obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Cystic fibrosis(CF) is an inherited disease affecting children, adolescents and young adults with dysfunction of secretory glands.It is caused by mutations in the protein-coding gene which function as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR), responsible for the secretion of chloride ions in epithelial cells, adenocytes, sweat gland cells, pancreatic ducts,alimentary and respiratory tracts and eye. Assessment of the relationship between the inflammatory processes and apoptosis in the eye in the course of cystic fibrosis will allow determination of immunological exponents which may facilitate diagnosis.