Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an increasing concern worldwide, but particularly in the indigenous populations of Canada who are 2.5 to 5 times more affected by T2D than the general population due to a rapid diet transition. This transition is characterized by a decreased consumption of traditional food, rich in nutrient (selenium and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) but also containing contaminants (methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls) and an increased consumption of westernized food of low nutritional quality. While the Inuit population (4,7 % diabetics) is relatively unaffected by an increasing development of diabetes among indigenous populations, the Cree population (22,7 % diabetics) have a much higher prevalence of diabetes. Gestational diabetes (GD) can cause serious health problem to both the mother and foetus if not diagnosed and treated properly. The methods used to this day to diagnose T2D and GD are not suitable for early diagnosis and cannot identify the prediabetes state that can occur several years before the onset of diabetes. The identification of biomarkers by a metabolomic approach could potentially predict the risks and thus improve early management of those metabolic disorders. In my project, 3 populations will be studied; the Inuit of Nunavik from the study Qanuippitaa (2004) (n=848), the Cree of James Bay from the study Nituuchischaayihtitaau Aschii: Multi-community Environment-and-Health Study in Eeyou Istchee (n=804) and the perinatalogy biobank of the CHU de Québec (n= 50 controls matched to 50 GD cases). Plasma concentrations of 8 amino acids and 8 acylcarnitines will be measured by reversed phased ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. This platform will also permit untargeted metabolic profiling in those three populations leading to the identification of other biomarkers that might be at work in those populations and define the pathways by which diabetes develops.