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Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity logoLink to Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity
. 2019 Feb 14;12:239–255. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S191759

Interaction between dietary patterns and TCF7L2 polymorphisms on type 2 diabetes mellitus among Uyghur adults in Xinjiang Province, China

Junxiu Cai 1,2,*, Yan Zhang 3,*, Rebiya Nuli 4, Yangyi Zhang 5, Manfutong Abudusemaiti 5, Aizhatiguli Kadeer 6, Xiaoli Tian 5, Hui Xiao 5,
PMCID: PMC6385783  PMID: 30858716

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to characterize dietary patterns in the Uyghur population and examined the relationship between dietary pattern, TCF7L2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Patients and methods

Dietary patterns were defined using factor analysis, and associations between dietary patterns were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Genotyping of seven SNPs of TCF7L2 (rs11196205, rs12255372, rs12573128, rs4506565, rs7895340, rs7901695, and rs7903146) was conducted, and the association between these seven SNPs and the risk of T2DM was evaluated. Interactions between SNPs, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and dietary patterns were also analyzed.

Results

A total of 828 participants were enrolled in this study, including 491 people with T2DM and 337 healthy controls. Five dietary patterns were defined, and the results indicated that the “fruit” and “vegetables” dietary patterns were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of T2DM, whereas the “meats” and “grains” dietary patterns were associated with an increased risk of T2DM. Moreover, the “dairy product” dietary pattern showed no association with the risk of T2DM. Furthermore, our results revealed that the TCF7L2 SNP, rs12573128, is associated with an increased risk of T2DM. SNPs rs4506565 and rs7903146 significantly interacted with dietary pattern.

Conclusion

Our studies suggest that dietary pattern and genetic polymorphisms of TCF7L2 are associated with the development of T2DM in the Uyghur population of China.

Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, dietary patterns, TCF7L2, polymorphism, Uyghur

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and a relative lack of insulin.1 Although T2DM is not life-threatening, it can cause numerous complications and reduce the quality of life.2,3 The morbidity rate due to T2DM is also growing every year. T2DM is the result of interactions between genetic and lifestyle factors.4 Therefore, it is important to explore population-specific genetic factors and lifestyle risk factors in the context of T2DM.

Dietary patterns, which reflect the complexity of dietary intake, are considered an alternative method to human diet alone for investigating the association between diet and risk of disease.5 Although there have been studies on the association between dietary pattern and the risk of T2DM in different countries,610 data for the Chinese population are limited, and the majority of them were focused on eastern Chinese and Han nationalities.6,11,12 Uyghur people live primarily in Xinjiang Province of China and have their own genetic background, lifestyle, and dietary habits.13,14 They eat a lot of carbohydrates, including pasta, naan, noodles, and roasted buns. Milk and dairy products, beef, and mutton are also consumed a lot. These significant differences between the dietary patterns of the Uyghur and Han populations mean that there is a need to investigate the association between dietary pattern and the risk of T2DM in the Uyghur population.

Several studies have been conducted to assess the relationship between genetic risk factors and T2DM risk in Chinese minority ethnicities, including the Uyghur,15,16 Hui,17 and Dong18 ethnic populations. TCF7L2, formerly known as TCF4, is a member of the TCF family that affects the expression of pro-glucagon and consequently blood glucose regulation.19 In previous studies, strong associations between TCF7L2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk of T2DM have been found in different ethnic populations.2024 However, only one study was conducted on Uyghur people, and only two TCF7L2 SNPs (rs12255372 and rs7901695) were investigated in that study.14

Recent studies have begun to pay attention to the relationship between genetic factors and lifestyle factors, such as diet and physical activity, on the risk of T2DM. The current study aimed to define the dietary patterns for the Uyghur population and to examine the association between dietary patterns and risk of T2DM. We also examined the polymorphisms of TCFL2 gene in the Uyghur population and sought to determine whether the association between genetic variants of TCFL2 and T2DM risk is affected by the dietary pattern.

Patients and methods

Study population

This study was conducted on Uyghur national residents in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Province, China from November 2016 to February 2018. Participants were selected from six Community Health Centers in Tianshan and Saybagh districts using a stratified cluster random-sampling method. Physical examination records of the community health centers were reviewed, and individuals who conformed to the following inclusion criteria were selected: 1) fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥7.0 mmol/L but without T2DM history; 2) no diagnosis of DM or other diseases that could affect their dietary habits; 3) no diseases related to blood glucose and insulin metabolism, such as abnormal thyroid function and severe obesity, and no other severe diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular, kidney, liver, or pancreas; 4) no history of taking drugs that affect blood glucose metabolism; and 5) Uyghur nationality. Participants with mental disease, who had difficulty in moving or communicating, and women who were pregnant or breast-feeding were also excluded. Selected participants were invited to our center and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted to confirm the diagnosis. T2DM was defined using the diagnostic criteria of American Diabetes Association standards 2016 (FPG ≥7.0 mmol/L and OGTT ≥11.1 mmol/L).25 For the normal control group, participants were selected from people who were assessed during the same physical examination period. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. It was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and all participants provided written informed consent to be included in this study.

Dietary intake investigation

In accordance with the dietary characteristics of Uyghur national residents in Urumqi, a specific semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ), comprising 84 items in 17 food groups (Table 1), was designed. The validity and reliability of the SQFFQ was evaluated via a preliminary survey conducted within the same region from September 2016 to October 2016. One hundred and fifty participants who had undergone physical examination were randomly selected, and three 24-hour dietary reports (two working days and one rest day) were compared with the results of the SQFFQ. After eliminating incomplete data, results from 137 participants were analyzed. The average Pearson correlation coefficients (PCCs) between the SQFFQ and dietary reports ranged from 0.19 to 0.83, with an average value of 0.45 for the major food groups. Results showed that the SQFFQ provided a reasonably valid measurement of dietary intakes. The interscorer reliability of the SQFFQ was evaluated after 4 weeks. Ninety-eight of the 110 participants completed the test. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the PCCs between dietary intake of all food groups from the second survey and those from the first survey ranged from 0.52 to 0.91, with an average of 0.73. This indicates that the inter-scorer reliability of the SQFFQ is relatively high.

Table 1.

Food grouping used in the dietary pattern analyses

Food groups Food items
Grains Rice, pilaf, rice soap, porridge, pancake, fired noodles, steamed bun, steamed stuffed bun, dumplings, wonton, fired bread stick, deep-fried dough cake, maize meal, millet, oat, wheat, buckwheat, corn
Bean Soybean, miscellaneous beans, bean sprouts, tofu, dried bean curd, soybean milk
Vegetables Green vegetables, cowpea, green bean, sweet potato, potato, Chinese yam, green peppers, tomato, Chinese cabbage, radish, cucumber, eggplant, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, radish, onion, pickled vegetables
Fruit Apple, pears, oranges, bananas, watermelon, grapes, peach, apricots, pomegranate, cherries, cantaloupe, strawberries, etc
Dairy product Milk, milky tea, yogurt, cheese, butter
Meats Mutton, beef, chicken, duck meat, goose meat
Organ meats Animal pluck
Fish and seafood Fishes, shrimp, crab, shellfish
Eggs Duck eggs, chicken eggs, goose eggs, quail eggs, pigeon eggs
Pastry Bread, cookies, cake
Nuts and dried fruit Walnut, peanuts, almonds, melon seeds, pistachio nuts, raisin, red dates, dried apricot
Salt Salt
Oil Vegetable oil, animal oil
Beverage Fruits juice, sodas, tea, water, wine, beer

Participants were invited to a separate air-conditioned room after breakfast. For nutrition assessment, ten professional investigators, who majored in medicine and nutrition and were fluent in the local language, were trained using a combination of theoretical teaching and practical operation prior to the investigation. Participants were asked to recall the frequencies (per day, per week, per month, per year) and portion sizes of all food consumed within the previous 12 months, with the help of visual measurement aids. Answers were transformed to an average daily intake (grams) for all subsequent analyses. One specific person was responsible for quality control of the dietary survey, including checking for errors, missed items, and unclear items, all of which were corrected in a timely manner.

Dietary pattern identification

Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis (principal component analysis) in dimensionality reduction analysis of SPSS 21.0 as described elsewhere.26 Briefly, factors were rotated using varimax rotation to ensure that there was no association between factors and to improve interpretability. Factors were extracted by combing eigenvalue, interpretability, and scree plot. Factor groups with factor loading ≥|0.5| were considered to contribute significantly and served as a reference for labeling the dietary patterns.27 Factor scores were categorized into quartiles (Q1–Q4), and differences between Q1 and Q4 in every dietary pattern were compared by single factor difference analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between dietary patterns and T2DM by adjusting for sex, age, education level (primary and lower, junior, senior, and college and higher), physical activity level (light, moderate, and heavy), smoking status (never, current, and former), body mass index (BMI), and total energy intake.

Physical activity assessment

The physical activity level of all participants was evaluated using the validated international physical activity questionnaire (Chinese version, IPAQ).28,29 Participants were divided into vigorously active, moderately active, or sedentary groups according to their physical activity over the past 7 days.

Anthropometric and laboratory measurement

Demographic and anthropometric data were collected for all participants. Demographic data including age, gender, smoking status, alcohol consumption, marital status, education, occupation, household income, and disease history were collected via an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Anthropometric data including height (mm), weight (kg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP, mmHg), systolic blood pressure (SBP, mmHg), waist circumference (WC, cm), and hip circumstance (HC, cm) were measured in an air-conditioned room with participants wearing light clothing and no shoes. BMI was calculated as weight divided by height squared (kg/m2). Waist–hip ratio (WHR) was calculated as WC/HC. Blood samples were obtained from all participants in the morning after 12 hours of fasting. Total cholesterol (TC, mmol/L), triglycerides (TG, mmol/L), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C, mmol/L), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C, mmol/L), and FPG (mmol/L) were measured using a Beckman Coulter AU5800 clinical chemistry system (Beck-man, Newark, NJ, USA). Fasting insulin (FINS, pmol/L) was measured using a Roche Diagnostics Kit and a Roche Cobas e-601 analyzer (GmbH, Mannheim, Germany). Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated as (FINS× FPG)/22.5.

SNP genotyping

TCF7L2 SNPs were searched for on the NCBI database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SNP) and 1000 Genomes database (http://www.internationalgenome.org/) by referencing genomes obtained from Chinese Han and European populations. SNP information was imported into Haploview 4.2 software and seven SNPs (rs11196205, rs12255372, rs12573128, rs4506565, rs7895340, rs7901695, and rs7903146) were selected based on the criteria of linkage disequilibrium parameter r2≥0.8 and minimum allele frequency ≥0.05. DNA was extracted from whole blood using a TIANamp Genomic DNA Kit (Tiangen, Beijing, China), and TCF7L2 genotyping was performed using improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (iMLDR, Genesky, Shanghai, China) as previously described.30 Quality control procedures, including internal consistency and external validation, were applied to ensure accurate genotyping results. Approximately 5% of samples were randomly selected in duplicate with an internal consistency rate of 100%, and another 5% were randomly selected for Sanger sequencing. Genotyping results showed 100% reproducibility.

Statistical analysis

All statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS 21.0 software (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). Normal distribution of quantitative data was examined using a one-sample Shapiro–Wilk test. Data following a normal distribution were expressed as mean ± SD, and data that did not follow a normal distribution were expressed as median and quartile range. Differences between two groups were compared by independent-sample t-test or Mann–Whitney U test where appropriate. Qualitative data were expressed as frequencies (percentages) and compared using the chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test. Dietary patterns were extracted by factor analysis. OR and 95% CIs were calculated by multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between dietary pattern and risk of T2DM. Genotype frequencies between T2DM participants and control participants, as well as Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), were assessed using a chi-squared test. Interaction analyses between SNPs and dietary factors/physical activity were carried out using Spearman correlation analysis and logistic regression models. P<0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.

Results

Demographic and clinical characteristics

A total of 932 participants were initially included in the study. After excluding participants with abnormal glucose tolerance, incomplete information of general conditions, physical examination, laboratory tests, and dietary data, as well as those with extreme physical activity and dietary energy identified during data processing, a final number of 828 participants were enrolled for subsequent analyses. Table 2 shows the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with T2DM (n=337) and control participants (n=491). There was no significant difference in terms of age, gender, polyunsaturated fatty acids, marital status, monthly income, or alcohol intake (P>0.05), whereas BMI, WHR, SBP, DBP, TC, TG, LDL-C, FINS, HOMA-IR, energy, protein, fat, total fatty acids, saturated fatty acids (SFA), and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) levels were significantly higher in patients with T2DM than in control participants (P<0.05). It is interesting to note that participants in the T2DM group on average had a higher level of education, a higher incidence of T2DM in the family, were less physically active, and tended to smoke less than those in the control group (all P<0.05).

Table 2.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of participants with and without T2DM

Variables Participants in control group (N=491) Participants in T2DM group (N=337) Z/χ2 P-value
Age, years 48.00 (43.00–57.00) 50.00 (42.00–57.00) –0.060 0.952
Gender, n
 Male 215 162 1.478 0.224
 Female 276 175
BMI, kg/m2 25.97 (22.77–29.05) 27.89 (25.07–30.79) −6.103 <0.001
WHR 0.88 (0.83–0.93) 0.94 (0.89–0.98) −9.966 <0.001
SBP, mmHg 120.00 (110.00–132.00) 133.00 (122.00–145.50) −8.379 <0.001
DBP, mmHg 76.00 (70.00–82.00) 80.00 (75.00–89.00) −6.826 <0.001
FPG, mmol/L 5.10 (4.76–5.50) 7.70 (7.20–9.28) −24.472 <0.001
TC, mmol/L 4.28 (3.64–5.04) 4.95 (4.20–5.76) −8.166 <0.001
TG, mmol/L 1.60 (1.25–2.28) 2.40 (1.67–3.18) −8.830 <0.001
LDL-C, mmol/L 2.38 (1.88–2.63) 2.91 (2.22–3.55) −9.776 <0.001
HDL-C, mmol/L 1.43 (1.19–1.88) 1.19 (0.95–1.55) −8.057 <0.001
FINS, pmol/L 9.04 (5.79–12.59) 11.94 (7.52–18.29) −6.548 <0.001
HOMA-IR 2.03 (1.32–2.85) 4.56 (2.74–6.83) −15.148 <0.001
Energy, Kcal 2,389.49 (1,925.67–2,984.22) 2,581.22 (2,128.15–3,115.74) −3.893 <0.001
Protein, g 87.80 (68.33–112.45) 93.53 (74.66–121.33) −2.771 0.006
Fat, g 82.42 (63.35–103.68) 86.71 (69.12–113.53) −2.956 0.003
Total fatty acids, g 75.42 (58.24–95.07) 80.04 (62.83–105.06) −3.050 0.002
SFA, g 17.70 (13.37–22.69) 18.93 (13.98–25.83) −2.924 0.003
MUFA, g 25.27 (19.70–31.39) 28.15 (22.31–37.12) −4.764 <0.001
PUFA, g 31.02 (22.79–40.27) 30.97 (24.49–42.49) −1.465 0.143
Occupation, n
  Leader 8 10 46.141 <0.001
  Professional 53 27
 Businessman and service staff 179 102
   Worker 105 36
   Other 100 84
   Retired 46 78
Education level, n
 Primary and lower 219 139 10.182 0.017
   Middle school 240 157
 College and higher 31 39
Marital status, n
   Unmarried 8 5 2.993 0.393
   Married 435 292
Widowed or divorced 48 40
Monthly income per person, RMB
   <3,000 364 242 5.306 0.257
   3,000–6,000 119 89
   >6,000 8 6
Family history of T2DM, n
   No 426 259 13.728 <0.001
   Yes 65 78
Hypertension, n
   No 435 249 30.088 <0.001
   Yes 56 88
Smoking status, n
   Never 364 254 8.745 0.013
   Current 111 59
   Former 16 24
Alcohol intake, n
 No 438 302 0.035 0.851
   Yes 53 35
Physical activity, n
   Light 12 13 12.336 0.002
   Moderate 311 246
   Vigorous 168 78

Notes: Smoker was defined as one who smokes more than 10 cigarettes per week for more than 6 months. Former smoker was defined as one who stopped smoking for more than 6 months. Alcohol intake was defined as one who drinks at least once a week, for more than 6 months. Differences between these two groups were compared by chi-squared test, and P<0.05 indicated statistically significant difference.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; FINS, fasting insulin; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SFA, saturated fatty acids; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglycerides; WHR, waist–hip ratio.

Definition of dietary patterns in the Uyghur population

The dietary intakes of all participants were analyzed using factor analysis. Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin index (KMO =0.703>0.5) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (χ2=1,060.491, df =92, P<0.001) suggested the food groups were not independent but significantly correlated with each other and that a factor analysis was applicable.31 Five types of dietary pattern were derived from the principal component analysis, which accounted for 95.22% of the variance among food items (Table 3). The first pattern was named the “fruit” pattern and was characterized by a high intake of fruits, nuts and dried fruit, and a low intake of salt, oil, and beverages. The second pattern was termed the “meats” pattern and was characterized by a high intake of meat, animal pluck, fish, and seafood and a low intake of fruits and dairy products. The third pattern was named the “dairy product” pattern and was characterized by a high intake of dairy products and eggs, with a low intake of salt and beverages. The fourth pattern was named the “vegetables” pattern and was characterized by a high intake of vegetables, and a low intake of salt, meat, oil, and beverages. The final pattern was called the “grains” pattern and was characterized by a high intake of grains.

Table 3.

Factor loadings and explained variations of dietary patterns from principal component analysis

Foods groups Dietary patterns
Fruit Meats Dairy product Vegetables Grains
Grains 0.134 0.235 0.066 −0.033 0.960
Bean 0.186 0.037 0.155 0.122 0.063
Vegetables 0.152 0.096 0.021 0.979 0.095
Fruits 0.984 −0.059 0.046 0.156 0.037
Dairy product 0.179 −0.016 0.983 0.010 −0.033
Organ meats 0.254 0.285 0.105 −0.071 0.137
Meats 0.229 0.963 0.141 −0.016 0.000
Fish and sea food 0.045 0.184 0.165 0.021 0.022
Eggs 0.192 0.109 0.203 −0.024 0.056
Pastry 0.269 0.031 0.075 0.050 0.003
Nut and dried fruit 0.310 0.097 0.179 0.122 0.022
Salt −0.055 0.071 −0.013 −0.136 0.064
Oil −0.081 0.075 0.012 −0.065 0.030
Beverage −0.030 0.154 −0.020 −0.006 0.077

Note: The bold number indicates the largest component in principal component analysis.

Association between dietary pattern and general characteristics

The general characteristics of all participants across quartile categories of dietary pattern scores are summarized in Table 4. Participants in the highest quartile of the “fruit” dietary pattern were mostly male, with lower FPG and TC, higher levels of energy, protein, fat, total fatty acids, SFA, MUFA, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and a lower incidence of T2DM and hypertension than those in the lowest quartile. Individuals in the highest quartile of the “meats” dietary pattern were more likely to be male, smokers, drinkers, and have higher WHR, FPG, TG, HOMA-IR, energy, protein, fat, total fatty acids, SFA, MUFA, and PUFA, lower levels of HDL-C, and a higher incidence of T2DM than those in the lower quartile. Subjects in the highest quartile of the “dairy product” pattern tended to have a lower BMI, WHR, and TG, a low family history of T2DM, higher levels of energy, protein, fat, total fatty acids, SFA, MUFA, and PUFA, and a higher education level and higher economic income than those in the lowest quartile. Participants in the highest quartile of the “vegetables” pattern were more likely to have a lower BMI, WHR, FPG, TC, TG, LDL-C, and HOMA-IR, a lower economic income, low incidence of T2DM and hypertension, and higher levels of HDL-C, energy, protein, fat, SFA, and PUFA than those in the lower quartile. Individuals in the highest quartile of the “grains” pattern were younger, more likely to be female, smokers, drinkers, had higher WHR, SBP, DBP, FPG, LDL-C, HOMA-IR, energy, protein, fat, total fatty acids, and MUFA, a higher economic income, and higher incidence of T2DM and hypertension, but lower levels of HDL-C than those in the lower quartile.

Table 4.

General characteristics of study participants for lowest and highest quartiles of the major dietary pattern scores

Variables Fruit pattern score P-value Meats pattern score P-value Dairy product pattern score P-value Vegetables pattern score P-value Grains pattern score P-value
Q1 (lowest) (n=207) Q4 (highest) (n=207) Q1 (lowest) (n=207) Q4 (highest) (n=207) Q1 (lowest) (n=207) Q4 (highest) (n=207) Q1 (lowest) (n=207) Q4 (highest) (n=207) Q1 (lowest) (n=207) Q4 (highest) (n=207)
Age, years 51.00 (42.00–58.00) 48.00 (42.00–58.00) 0.51 49.00 (43.00–57.00) 48.00 (41.00–56.00) 0.067 51.00 (43.00–58.00) 48.00 (41.00–57.00) 0.103 52.00 (42.00–57.00) 48.00 (44.00–58.00) 0.905 51.00 (44.00–59.00) 47.00 (42.00–55.00) 0.006
Gender, n 0.006 <0.001 0.921 1 <0.001
 Male 82 110 66 133 92 93 97 97 48 144
 Female 125 97 141 74 115 114 110 110 159 63
BMI, kg/m2 27.34 (24.30–30.39) 27.12 (24.32–30.45) 0.946 27.06 (24.00–31.14) 26.51 (24.24–29.37) 0.165 27.49 (24.52–31.11) 26.78 (23.60–29.05) 0.043 27.64 (24.45–30.82) 26.143 (23.01–29.37) 0.003 26.24 (23.44–29.41) 26.83 (23.79–29.07) 0.927
WHR 0.90 (0.86–0.95) 0.90 (0.85–0.95) 0.172 0.89 (0.84–0.94) 0.91 (0.86–0.96) 0.004 0.92 (0.87–0.96) 0.89 (0.84–0.94) 0.002 0.93 (0.87–0.97) 0.89 (0.84–0.92) <0.001 0.88 (0.83–0.93) 0.92 (0.87–0.97) <0.001
SBP, mmHg 128.00 (114.00–140.00) 125.00 (114.00–136.00) 0.106 126.00 (114.00–140.00) 126.00 (116.00–140.00) 0.577 127.00 (114.00–140.00) 128.00 (112.00–140.00) 0.713 129.00 (116.00–141.00) 126.00 (114.00–135.00) 0.071 120.00 (110.00–131.00) 128.00 (118.00–138.00) 0.002
DBP, mmHg 80.00 (70.00–87.00) 78.00 (69.00–85.00) 0.084 78.00 (70.00–84.00) 78.00 (70.00–86.00) 0.673 78.00 (70.00–88.00) 80.00 (70.00–86.00) 0.761 78.86±11.44 78.46±12.60 0.578 74.00 (68.00–82.00) 80.00 (72.00–87.00) <0.001
FPG, mmol/L 7.00 (5.10–7.92) 5.47 (4.97–7.17) <0.001 5.60 (4.99–7.06) 7.00 (5.16–8.50) <0.001 5.80 (5.01–7.45) 5.75 (5.04–7.60) 0.756 7.10 (5.32–8.19) 5.28 (4.78–5.98) <0.001 5.26 (4.80–5.80) 7.00 (5.10–8.52) <0.001
TC, mmol/L 4.80 (4.05–5.42) 4.34 (3.85–5.27) 0.027 4.39 (3.88–5.29) 4.65 (3.96–5.46) 0.190 4.53 (3.99–5.37) 4.47 (3.80–5.37) 0.386 4.88 (4.20–5.64) 4.34 (3.61–5.13) <0.001 4.30 (3.63–5.34) 4.53 (4.04–5.28) 0.077
TG, mmol/L 1.96 (1.40–2.75) 1.82 (1.34–2.49) 0.295 1.84 (1.30–2.54) 2.01 (1.41–2.97) 0.017 2.06 (1.51–2.99) 1.80 (1.30–2.64) 0.016 2.13 (1.48–3.01) 1.65 (1.23–2.47) <0.001 1.73 (1.33–2.46) 1.96 (1.27–2.82) 0.118
LDL-C, mmol/L 2.53 (2.13–3.23) 2.38 (2.11–2.87) 0.065 2.41 (2.05–3.15) 2.54 (2.04–3.25) 0.435 2.50 (2.05–3.20) 2.38 (1.90–3.12) 0.171 2.65 (2.19–3.48) 2.38 (1.98–2.74) <0.001 2.38 (1.84–2.81) 2.46 (2.10–3.12) 0.003
HDL-C, mmol/L 1.26 (1.00–1.79) 1.36 (1.11–1.80) 0.062 1.36 (1.09–1.84) 1.27 (1.01–1.66) 0.015 1.34 (1.09–1.79) 1.34 (1.070–1.73) 0.681 1.20 (0.97–1.62) 1.42 (1.12–1.85) <0.001 1.42 (1.21–1.88) 1.25 (1.04–1.63) <0.001
FINS, pmol/L 10.02 (6.53–15.86) 9.74 (6.09–15.11) 0.664 9.74 (6.27–14.50) 9.95 (6.45–15.96) 0.494 10.02 (6.61–15.57) 9.70 (6.45–14.80) 0.384 10.52 (6.72–15.63) 9.58 (6.17–14.33) 0.189 9.54 (6.41–13.61) 10.03 (5.59–16.08) 0.342
HOMA-IR 2.83 (1.79–5.19) 2.54 (1.59–4.31) 0.083 2.53 (1.49–4.20) 2.79 (1.78–5.33) 0.026 2.62 (1.66–5.07) 2.73 (1.69–4.21) 0.790 3.26 (2.06–5.28) 2.31 (1.45–3.78) <0.001 2.17 (1.48–3.49) 2.70 (1.51–5.47) 0.001
Energy, Kcal 2,139.22 (1,823.41–2,638.45) 2,878.49 (2,382.67–3,615.14) <0.001 2,166.57 (1,830.08–2,743.64) 2,991.04 (2,478.85–3,666.34) <0.001 2,203.27 (1,751.28–2,762.03) 2,791.29 (2,339.86–3,408.95) <0.001 2,508.10 (1,921.19–2,927.28) 2,676.97 (2,072.03–3,316.18) 0.008 2,040.03 (1,679.95–2,479.72) 3,116.55 (2,651.93–3,715.92) <0.001
Protein, g 79.23 (61.64–97.79) 109.29 (87.80–138.03) <0.001 71.37 (59.68–91.13) 128.54 (108.88–158.21) <0.001 79.79 (57.55–103.39) 105.67 (85.14–134.92) <0.001 88.86 (63.17–113.20) 97.28 (75.14–129.05) 0.005 79.96 (56.37–100.46) 112.45 (89.10–136.22) <0.001
Fat, g 72.73 (56.73–95.60) 97.18 (73.98–124.33) <0.001 73.71 (56.11–93.39) 108.355 (84.78–129.74) <0.001 70.993 (54.62–93.31) 100.659 (83.88–122.43) <0.001 84.10 (58.64–109.95) 87.23 (69.50–114.43) 0.049 81.96 (64.77–100.96) 89.23 (68.27–115.65) 0.012
Total fatty acids, g 66.53 (51.67–88.58) 89.47 (67.45–114.62) <0.001 68.185 (51.251–86.388) 98.507 (78.016–119.272) <0.001 65.212 (49.552–86.373) 92.548 (76.442–112.127) <0.001 77.280 (53.659–102.136) 80.371 (63.495–105.252) 0.056 75.416 (60.189–94.460) 81.069 (62.049–105.464) 0.046
SFA, g 15.62 (12.10–20.44) 21.23 (16.32–28.82) <0.001 14.81 (12.10–19.06) 25.38 (20.54–31.28) <0.001 13.67 (10.53–18.99) 23.84 (19.18–29.00) <0.001 17.10 (12.62–24.31) 19.63 (14.84–24.92) 0.012 19.02 (13.97–23.68) 18.99 (13.83–25.31) 0.394
MUFA, g 23.57 (18.50–29.84) 28.68 (22.41–37.19) <0.001 22.64 (17.21–29.40) 33.53 (27.20–41.79) <0.001 22.49 (17.79–29.31) 30.87 (26.00–37.58) <0.001 26.69 (19.15–34.37) 27.12 (20.61–35.03) 0.409 25.32 (20.42–31.87) 27.08 (20.67–35.58) 0.028
PUFA, g 26.37 (20.13–36.56) 37.03 (26.82–49.44) <0.001 28.39 (20.21–38.08) 36.37 (27.51–47.78) <0.001 27.54 (20.06–36.78) 36.31 (27.45–45.68) <0.001 30.04 (21.52–41.04) 34.67 (24.59–44.27) 0.022 30.30 (22.17–39.53) 32.26 (24.18–44.15) 0.067
Occupation, n 0.035 0.012 0.748 0.047 0.002
 Leader 6 5 6 4 2 6 4 3 3 6
 Professional 26 15 22 24 22 20 19 20 17 24
 Businessman and service staff 57 78 56 90 74 68 63 73 68 86
 Worker 28 41 37 30 32 36 23 41 27 40
 Other 53 42 55 34 45 43 62 48 55 33
 Retired 37 26 31 25 32 34 36 22 37 18
Education level, n 0.127 0.251 0.005 0.380 0.119
 Primary and lower 94 96 93 82 105 73 86 89 83 104
 Junior 57 64 62 77 61 67 66 71 68 54
 Senior 38 23 29 34 24 40 31 33 34 35
 College and higher 16 24 21 14 15 26 23 13 21 13
Marital status, n 0.351 0.055 0.101 0.391 0.498
 Unmarried 1 5 1 6 1 5 4 5 5 6
 Married 182 176 178 181 176 183 177 185 181 183
 Widowed 16 15 20 10 17 13 16 8 13 7
 Divorced 8 11 8 10 13 6 10 9 8 11
Monthly income per person, RMB 0.118 0.088 0.016 0.002
 <1,500 81 56 74 49 69 58 84 56 75 46 0.014
 1,500–3,000 72 87 85 94 98 82 70 104 85 97
 3,000–4,500 29 38 28 36 25 37 30 35 31 36
 4,500–6,000 22 22 18 24 10 26 18 11 14 21
 >6,000 3 4 2 4 5 4 5 1 2 7
T2DM, n 109 70 <0.001 62 106 <0.001 91 86 0.619 127 49 <0.001 28 107 <0.001
Hypertension, n 0.025 0.499 0.451 0.003 0.015
 No 158 176 172 177 171 165 160 183 170 187
 Yes 49 31 35 30 36 42 47 24 37 20
Smoking status, n 0.066 <0.001 0.488 0.141 <0.001
 Never 159 146 173 127 158 155 164 158 177 128
 Current 35 53 30 72 37 44 30 42 24 67
 Former 13 8 4 8 12 8 13 7 6 12
Alcohol intakes, n 0.056 0.001 0.411 0.485 <0.001
 No 191 179 189 165 189 184 191 187 197 173
 Yes 16 28 18 42 18 23 16 20 10 34
Physical activity, n 0.157 0.439 0.249 0.284 0.085
 Light 8 3 7 3 10 4 5 5 6 7
 Moderate 148 141 137 139 139 140 166 153 150 129
 Vigorous 51 63 63 65 58 63 36 49 51 71

Notes: Smoker was defined as one who smokes more than 10 cigarettes per week for more than 6 months. Former smoker was defined as one who stopped smoking for more than 6 months. Alcohol intake was defined as one who drinks at least once a week, for more than 6 months. Differences between these two groups were compared by chi-squared test, and P<0.05 indicated statistically significant difference.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; FINS, fasting insulin; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SFA, saturated fatty acids; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; TC, total cholesterol; T G, triglycerides; WHR, waist–hip ratio.

Association between dietary pattern and T2DM risk

Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between dietary pattern and T2DM risk. As shown in Table 5, participants in the highest quartile of the “fruit” and “vegetables” dietary pattern scores had a lower incidence of T2DM than those in the lowest quartiles (OR =0.238; 95% CI: 0.144–0.395; P<0.001 and OR =0.187, 95% CI: 0.118–0.295; P<0.001, respectively), after adjustment for sex, age, education level, physical activity level, smoking status, BMI, and total energy intake. Subjects in the highest quartile of the “meats” and “grains” dietary pattern scores had a higher incidence of T2DM than those in the lowest quartiles (OR =2.389; 95% CI: 1.487–3.838; P<0.001 and OR =10.239; 95% CI: 5.142–20.388; P<0.001, respectively). The “dairy product” pattern showed no association with the risk of T2DM (OR =0.672; 95% CI: 0.423–1.066; P=0.091).

Table 5.

Multivariable regression analyses of dietary patterns and T2DM risk

Fruit Meats Dairy product Vegetables Grains
Q1 Q4, OR (95% CI) P-value Q1 Q4, OR (95% CI) P-value Q1 Q4, OR (95% CI) P-value Q1 Q4, OR (95% CI) P-value Q1 Q4, OR (95% CI) P-value
1 0.238 (0.144– 0.395) <0.001 1 2.389 (1.487– 3.838) <0.001 1 0.672 (0.423– 1.066) 0.091 1 0.187 (0.118– 0.295) <0.001 1 10.239 (5.142– 20.388) <0.001

Notes: Multivariable regression analyses were adjusted for sex, age, education level (primary and lower, junior, senior, college and higher), physical activity level (light, moderate, and heavy), smoking status (never, current, and former), BMI, and total energy intake. Q4, the highest quartile of dietary patterns; Q1, the lowest quartile of dietary patterns (reference). Smoker was defined as one who smokes more than 10 cigarettes per week for more than 6 months. Former smoker was defined as one who stopped smoking for more than 6 months. Drinker was defined as one who drinks at least once a week, for more than 6 months.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Association between TCF7L2 SNPs and T2DM risk

The genotypic distribution for all seven SNPs of the TCF7L2 gene was consistent with the predicted HWE (P>0.05 in both T2DM and control groups, Table S1). Table 6 shows the distribution of genotypes and alleles for the seven SNPs in the T2DM and control groups within the Uygur population. The distribution of rs12573128 genotyping (P=0.041), dominant model (AG + AA vs GG, P=0.031), and additive model (AG vs GG, P=0.013) showed a significant difference between the T2DM and control groups. However, the distribution of the other six SNPs showed no statistical significance between the two groups (P>0.05).

Table 6.

Genotype and allele distributions in participants with and without T2DM

Variants T2DM, n Control, n χ2 P-value
rs11196205 genotypes
 CC 25 36 1.150 0.563
 GC 115 190
 GG 156 218
 Allele
 G 427 626 0.461 0.497
 C 165 262
Additive model
 GC 115 190 0.231 0.631
 CC 25 36
 GG 156 218 0.011 0.915
 CC 25 36
Recessive model
 GG 156 218 0.923 0.337
 CC + CG 140 226
Dominant model
 GC + GG 271 408 0.027 0.870
 CC 25 36
rs12255372 genotypes
 GG 207 305 0.228 0.892
 GT 79 126
 TT 9 13
 Allele
 T 97 152 0.116 0.734
 G 493 736
Additive model
 TG 79 126 0.219 0.640
 GG 207 305
 TT 9 13 0.002 0.964
 GG 207 305
Recessive model
 TT 9 13 0.009 0.923
 GG + GT 286 431
Dominant model
 TG + TT 88 139 0.181 0.670
 GG 207 305
rs12573128 genotypes
 GG 58 61 6.376 0.041
 GA 128 228
 AA 110 157
 Allele
 A 348 542 0.580 0.446
 G 244 350
Additive model
 AG 128 228 6.118 0.013
 GG 58 61
 AA 110 157 1.904 0.168
 GG 58 61
Recessive model
 AA 110 157 0.297 0.586
 GG + GA 186 289
Dominant model
 AG + AA 238 385 4.627 0.031
 GG 58 61
rs4506565 genotypes
 AA 196 287 3.882 0.144
 AT 85 147
 TT 15 12
 Allele
 T 115 171 0.015 0.903
 A 477 721
Additive model
 TA 85 147 1.021 0.312
 AA 196 287
 TT 15 12 2.364 0.124
 AA 196 287
Recessive model
 TT 15 12 2.867 0.090
 AA + AT 281 434
Dominant model
 TA + TT 100 159 0.273 0.601
 AA 196 287
rs7895340 genotypes
 GG 159 221 1.228 0.541
 GA 113 187
 AA 24 35
 Allele
 A 161 257 0.574 0.449
 G 431 629
Additive model
 AG 113 187 1.218 0.270
 GG 159 221
 AA 24 35 0.028 0.866
 GG 159 221
Recessive model
 AA 24 35
 GG + GA 272 408 0.010 0.919
Dominant model
 AG + AA 137 222 1.041 0.307
 GG 159 221
rs7901695 genotypes
 CC 14 12 3.663 0.160
 CT 82 145
 TT 200 289
 Allele
 T 482 723
 C 110 169 0.031 0.860
Additive model
 TC 82 145 3.112 0.078
 CC 14 12
 TT 200 289 1.704 0.192
 CC 14 12
Recessive model
 TT 200 289 0.607 0.436
 CC + CT 96 157
Dominant model
 TC + TT 282 434 2.188 0.139
 CC 14 12
rs7903146 genotypes
 CC 197 287 4.996 0.082
 CT 83 147
 TT 16 12
 Allele
 T 115 171 0.015 0.903
 C 477 721
Additive model
 TC 83 147 1.393 0.238
 CC 197 287
 TT 16 12 2.945 0.086
 CC 197 287
Recessive model
 TT 16 12 3.611 0.057
 CC + CT 280 434
Dominant model
 TC + TT 99 159 0.381 0.537
 CC 197 287

Abbreviations: SNP, single-nucleotide polymorphism; T2DM, type 2 dietary mellitus. Differences between these two groups were compared by chi-squared test.

Interaction between TCF7L2 SNPs and dietary pattern on T2DM risk

Next, interactions between the seven TCF7L2 SNPs and dietary pattern on T2DM risk were further assessed. As shown in Table 7, the interaction between the additive model of rs4506565 and dietary pattern, and between the additive model of rs7903146, were statistically significant (Pinteraction =0.033, Pinteraction =0.031, respectively). Conversely, the interaction between the dominant model of the seven SNPs and dietary pattern was not statistically significant (Pinteraction >0.05).

Table 7.

Interactions of the seven TCF7L2 SNPs with dietary patterns under additive and a dominant model of analysis

SNPs Groups Genotypes N Dietary patterns Additive model Dominant model
Fruit Meats Dairy product Vegetables Grains Passociation, GG vs GC Passociation, GG vs CC Passociation, GC vs CC Overall Pinteraction Passociation, GG + GC vs CC
rs11196205 T2DM CC 25 3 4 7 2 9 0.877 0.614 0.683 0.222 0.629
GC 115 15 25 20 22 33
GG 156 22 31 37 18 48
Control CC 36 6 6 4 9 11 0.848 0.081 0.135 0.090
GC 190 43 28 41 44 34
GG 218 53 22 49 68 26
Passociation, TT vs GT Passociation, TT vs GG Passociation, TG vsGG Overall Pinteraction Passociation, TT+ GT vs GG
rs12255372 T2DM GG 207 29 42 46 25 65 0.769 0.944 0.781 0.126 0.810
GT 79 11 15 13 17 23
TT 9 0 2 5 0 2
Control GG 305 70 36 69 91 39 0.785 0.607 0.495 0.440
GT 126 30 16 24 28 28
TT 13 2 4 1 2 4
Passociation, AA vs GA Passociation, AA vs GG Passociation, AG vs GG Overall Pinteraction Passociation, AA+ GA vs GG
rs12573128 T2DM GG 58 7 6 17 11 17 0.301 0.207 0.647 0.237 0.360
GA 128 15 28 27 16 42
AA 110 18 26 20 15 31
Control GG 61 14 10 14 17 6 0.880 0.347 0.353 0.319
GA 228 50 30 46 68 34
AA 157 38 16 35 37 31
Passociation, TT vs AT Passociation, TT vs AA Passociation, TA vsAA Overall Pinteraction Passociation, TT+ AT vs AA
rs4506565 T2DM AA 196 27 43 43 23 60 0.930 0.650 0.549 0.033 0.490
AT 85 12 14 16 18 25
TT 15 1 3 5 1 5
Control AA 287 66 31 63 90 37 0.548 0.482 0.994 0.869
AT 147 34 22 31 30 30
TT 12 2 3 1 2 4
Passociation, AA vs GA Passociation, AA vs GG Passociation, AG vs GG Overall Pinteraction Passociation, AA+ GA vs GG
rs7895340 T2DM GG 159 22 32 37 19 49 0.869 0.794 0.882 0.267 0.830
GA 113 15 24 20 21 33
AA 24 3 4 7 2 8
Control GG 221 53 23 49 70 26 0.102 0.060 0.911 0.507
GA 187 43 27 41 42 34
AA 35 6 5 4 9 11
Passociation, TT vs CT Passociation, TT vs CC Passociation, TC vs CC Overall Pinteraction Passociation, TT+ CT vs CC
rs7901695 T2DM CC 14 1 3 4 1 5 0.481 0.607 0.886 0.072 0.680
CT 82 12 13 15 17 25
TT 200 27 44 45 24 60
Control CC 12 2 3 1 2 4 0.933 0.490 0.534 0.498
CT 145 33 22 31 31 28
TT 289 67 31 63 89 39
Passociation, TT vs CT Passociation, TT vs CC Passociation, TC vs CC Overall Pinteraction Passociation, TT+ CT vs CC
rs7903146 T2DM CC 197 27 43 43 23 61 0.961 0.700 0.649 0.031 0.591
CT 83 12 14 15 18 24
TT 16 1 3 6 1 5
Control CC 287 66 31 63 90 37 0.548 0.481 0.994 0.869
CT 147 34 22 31 30 30
TT 12 2 3 1 2 4

Abbreviations: SNP, single-nucleotide polymorphism; T2DM, type 2 dietary mellitus.

Discussion

In this study, we defined five dietary patterns from the diet of the Uyghur population. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that the “fruit” and “vegetables” dietary patterns were associated with a significantly decreased risk of T2DM, whereas the “meats” and “grains” dietary patterns were associated with an increased risk of T2DM. Moreover, the “dairy product” dietary pattern showed no association with the risk of T2DM. Given the limited research that has been conducted on the Uyghur population, our studies represent a unique contribution to the pathogenesis of T2DM in this nation.

Uyghur people live primarily in the Xinjiang Province located in west China, and they have their own genetic background, lifestyle, culture, language, and dietary habits.13,14 The traditional Uyghur dietary pattern involves a high consumption of wheat-based foods (such as naan and noodles) and animal products (such as mutton and beef, and milk products such as butter and cheese), but a low intake of fruits and vegetables.32 In accordance with these national food habits, three dairy patterns, “grains,” “meats,” and “dairy product,” were defined in the current study. Multi-variable regression analysis revealed that the “meats” and “grains” dietary patterns were associated with a high risk of T2DM, whereas the “dairy product” pattern showed no association with the risk of T2DM. The positive association between the “meats” and “grains” pattern and T2DM could be due to unhealthy constituents, such as red meat. Naan and noodles are made of flour and contain a large amount of carbohydrates, and beef and mutton are rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. These foods provide sufficient materials for the synthesis of fat in the body, which could result in a high risk for T2DM.32

In addition to the three traditional dietary patterns, we also defined two others, namely the “vegetables” and “fruit” patterns. The “fruit” pattern is characterized by a high intake of fruits, nuts, and dried fruit and low intake of salt, oil, and beverages. This is in line with the variety of fruits in Xinjiang Province, such as grapes and Hami melon, and a characteristic high consumption of dried fruits, such as raisins, walnuts, and red dates. Multivariable regression analysis suggested the “vegetables” and “fruit” dietary patterns are associated with a low risk of T2DM. This finding is consistent with previous studies that demonstrated a positive effect of “fruit” and “vegetables” in decreasing the risk of T2DM. The “fruit” and “vegetables” dietary patterns are similar to dietary patterns in loading structure termed “vegetable, fruit, and soy-rich pattern” in a Singapore Chinese population study,33 “prudent” in a Finnish study34 or a US study.35 All of these studies demonstrated an inverse association between dietary pattern and risk of T2DM. In another study in China, Shu et al identified three dietary patterns in the Zhejiang Province, and a traditional southern Chinese dietary pattern, which is characterized by a high intake of refined grains, vegetables, fruits, and pickled vegetables and has similarities to the “fruit” and “vegetables” patterns in the current study. However, in contrast to the current study, they found that this pattern was associated with the risk of T2DM. One reason for this could be that the traditional southern Chinese diet also includes a high intake of pickled vegetables, which contain a large amount of salt, known to cause hypertension and T2DM.3638 Regardless of these differences, fruits and vegetables are abundant in dietary fiber, which are associated with a decreased risk of T2DM.39,40

TCF7L2 encodes a transcription factor that plays a key role in the canonical WNT signaling pathway. Previous studies have demonstrated that this pathway is important for β-cell proliferation and insulin secretion,41,42 and T2DM is known to be caused by impaired insulin secretion due to defective β-cell mass or function. In the current study, we assessed the association of seven TCF7L2 SNPs with T2DM risk in the Uygur population. To our knowledge, our study included the largest number of TCF7L2 SNPs ever investigated in this population. A previous study conducted by Yao et al demonstrated an association between two TCF7L2 SNPs (rs12255372 and rs7901695) and the risk of T2DM in the Uygur population. However, in our study, we did not find a significant association between these two SNPs and T2DM risk. Among the seven SNPs, only the distribution of rs12573128 genotypes (P=0.041), dominant model (AG + AA vs GG, P=0.031), and additive model (AG vs GG, P=0.013) showed a significant difference between the T2DM and control groups. Our study is consistent with previous work showing that TCF7L2 rs12573128 alone, or in combination with dietary fat intake, influenced insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance.43 Our result suggests that SNP rs12573128 affects WNT signaling to impact essential functions of TCF7L2 during insulin secretion and may also impact the maturity and proliferation of pancreatic β-cells associated with T2DM pathogenesis.

T2DM results from a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors, such as dietary pattern. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between SNPs and dietary patterns. In the present study, we assessed the interaction between the seven SNPs of TCF7L2 and dietary patterns. The results showed that two of the SNPs, rs4506565 and rs7903146, were significantly interact with dietary patterns. The genetic variants of TCF7L2 influence both insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity.44 Insulin secretion depends on blood glucose levels, which can be significantly affected by carbohydrates in the diet. Therefore, we speculate that the quality and quantity of carbohydrates may affect the relationship between TCF7L2 SNPs and the risk of T2DM.

There are some limitations to our study. First, the sample size was relatively small: only 828 participants were included in the full analysis, which may have led to weak statistical significance when estimating ORs. Second, the causal associations between dietary pattern and risk of T2DM could not be evaluated. Besides, although several confounding factors were adjusted in the statistical analyses, we could not completely eliminate the potential influence of other factors on our results. Further studies with larger sample sizes will be required to validate our findings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our results identified five dietary patterns among the Uygur population in China. We found that the “fruit” and “vegetables” dietary patterns were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of T2DM, whereas the “meats” and “grains” dietary patterns were associated with an increased risk. Moreover, the “dairy product” dietary pattern showed no association with the risk of T2DM. In addition, our results indicate that SNP rs12573128 in the TCF7L2 gene is associated with an increased risk of T2DM in the Chinese Uygur population and could therefore potentially serve as a clinically important prediagnostic marker. The interactions between TCF7L2 rs4506565 and rs7903146 and dietary pattern were found to be statistically significant. Given the limited amount of research that has been done within the Uyghur population, our studies provide a unique contribution to the pathogenesis of T2DM in this nation.

Data availability

The data sets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Supplementary material

Table S1.

The HWE test of the seven SNPs in DM group and control group

SNP Groups Wild homozygote Heterozygote Mutant homozygote χ2 P-value
rs11196205 CC GC GG
Control group 36 190 218 0.366 0.545
DM group 25 115 156 0.336 0.562
rs12255372 GG GT TT
Control group 305 126 13 0.000 0.998
DM group 207 79 9 0.189 0.664
rs12573128 GG GA AA
Control group 61 228 157 2.318 0.128
DM group 58 128 110 3.427 0.064
rs4506565 AA AT TT
Control group 287 147 12 1.800 0.180
DM group 196 85 15 2.023 0.155
rs7895340 GG GA AA
Control group 221 187 35 0.275 0.600
DM group 159 113 24 0.383 0.536
rs7901695 CC CT TT
Control group 12 145 289 1.528 0.216
DM group 14 82 200 2.110 0.146
rs7903146 CC CT TT
Control group 287 147 12 1.800 0.180
DM group 197 83 16 3.217 0.073

Note: HWE was assessed by chi-squared test, and P>0.05 indicated the SNP obeyed HWE.

Abbreviations: DM, diabetes mellitus; HWE, Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium; SNP, single-nucleotide polymorphism.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participants who generously gave their time to be part of the study. This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (No. 2016D01C242) and the Key Discipline of the 13th Five-Year Plan in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region - Public Health and Preventive Medicine (No. 99-11091113404#).

Footnotes

Author contributions

All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting and revising the article, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

Table S1.

The HWE test of the seven SNPs in DM group and control group

SNP Groups Wild homozygote Heterozygote Mutant homozygote χ2 P-value
rs11196205 CC GC GG
Control group 36 190 218 0.366 0.545
DM group 25 115 156 0.336 0.562
rs12255372 GG GT TT
Control group 305 126 13 0.000 0.998
DM group 207 79 9 0.189 0.664
rs12573128 GG GA AA
Control group 61 228 157 2.318 0.128
DM group 58 128 110 3.427 0.064
rs4506565 AA AT TT
Control group 287 147 12 1.800 0.180
DM group 196 85 15 2.023 0.155
rs7895340 GG GA AA
Control group 221 187 35 0.275 0.600
DM group 159 113 24 0.383 0.536
rs7901695 CC CT TT
Control group 12 145 289 1.528 0.216
DM group 14 82 200 2.110 0.146
rs7903146 CC CT TT
Control group 287 147 12 1.800 0.180
DM group 197 83 16 3.217 0.073

Note: HWE was assessed by chi-squared test, and P>0.05 indicated the SNP obeyed HWE.

Abbreviations: DM, diabetes mellitus; HWE, Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium; SNP, single-nucleotide polymorphism.

Data Availability Statement

The data sets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.


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