Starr County Health Studies' Genetics of Diabetes Study

This sub-study phs000143 CIDR T2D Hanis contains genotype data and selected phenotype of subjects available from the phs000143 study. Summary level phenotypes for the NIDDK T2D Seq GWAS Starr County Cohort study participants can be viewed at the top-level study page phs001166 T2D Seq GWAS Starr County Cohort. Individual level phenotype data and molecular data for all T2D Seq GWAS Starr County Cohort top-level study and sub-study are available by requesting Authorized Access to the NIDDK T2D Seq GWAS Starr County Cohort phs001166 study.

An initial observation in the 1970s that Starr County, Texas, had the highest diabetes-specific mortality of any of the 254 Texas counties led to the establishment of a field office in Rio Grande City, Texas (the county seat of Starr County) and the initiation of a series of studies to understand the epidemiology and genetics of type 2 diabetes, its complications and related conditions in this predominantly (97%) Mexican American population. The field office opened in February 1981 and has operated continuously since then. During this time, three systematic surveys of the population have been conducted as well as family and longitudinal studies. Culturally sensitive diabetes education programs have been developed and implemented and also a weight loss intervention. In total, more than 23,000 Mexican American individuals have been examined with more than 200,000 aliquots of biological specimens stored. Collectively, these studies are known as the Starr County Health Studies.

The present Genetics of Diabetes Study has the goal of identifying loci/alleles that underlie susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in this high risk population using genome wide markers and association testing. The study makes use of two primary resources that have been developed in order to identify 1,000 type 2 diabetes cases and 1,000 disease free controls. In the first instance we have identified a subset of unrelated cases from the total cases that we have identified. Where multiply affected sibships were available, the youngest onset case with detailed phenotyping (including assessment of diabetic retinopathy) was selected. Controls came from a recent survey to establish a representative sample of the Starr County population. Blocks were randomly selected, households on selected blocks enumerated and one individual randomly selected from each household for a detailed examination. The examination included an oral glucose tolerance test. Those included as controls are those with no prior diagnosis of diabetes and a negative oral glucose tolerance test.

This collection of cases and controls provides the opportunity to identify susceptibility loci for type 2 diabetes and its complications, specifically diabetic retinopathy and albuminuria. The data set also allows the examination of impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. The samples are split between those born in the United States and those born in Mexico and this gives a natural contrast for examining genotype and environmental interactions. It is anticipated that the understanding that will come will lead to strategies for delaying and preventing the onset of diabetes and its complications.

• Study Design:
  • Case-Control
• Study Type:
  • Case-Control
• Total number of consented subjects: 1980
• Subject Sample Telemetry Report (SSTR)

• BioProject
• PubMed
• Sequence Read Archive
• MeSH
• PMC

Cases were chosen as individuals with type 2 diabetes that were identified as Mexican Americans. Classification of diabetes was based on National Diabetes Data Group recommendations from 1978. All such individuals also meet current recommendations. Individuals were drawn from several studies that we have conducted in Starr County, Texas. In many cases sibships were recruited. In the case where more than one sibling was eligible, we selected the youngest onset sibling only in order to construct a sample with as few biological relationships as possible.

Controls were chosen because they had no history of diabetes and were negative for diabetes on an oral glucose tolerance test using a 75 gm glucose load.

• Primary Phenotype: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
• Diabetic Retinopathy

• Principal Investigator
  • Craig L. Hanis, PhD. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA, USA.
• Co-Investigators
  • Graeme I. Bell, PhD. Departments of Human Genetics and Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Nancy J. Cox, PhD. Departments of Human Genetics and Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
  • D. Michael Hallman, PhD. Human Genetics Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
  • Eric Boerwinkle, PhD. Human Genetics Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
  • M. Geoffrey Hayes, PhD. Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
  • Ronald Klein, MD. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison Medical School, Madison, WI, USA.
  • Barbara E. K. Klein, MD. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison Medical School, Madison, WI, USA.
  • Victor H. Gonzalez, MD. Valley Retina Institute, McAllen, TX, USA.
• Genotyping Center
  • Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR), Baltimore, MD, USA.
• Funding Source for Genotyping
  • HHSN268200782096C. NIH contract "High throughput genotyping for studying the genetic contributions to human disease". National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.