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Dear Friends
Welcome to an exciting meeting in the region of Österbotten at the Gulf of Botnia,
which has been the scene for the Botnia Study during the past 10 years.
The aim of the study is to identify genetic and environmental factors predisposing
to type 2 diabetes. Since 1990, we have been recruiting patients with type 2 diabetes
together with their family members in the area of five primary care centers in
Österbotten (Malax, Korsholm, Närpes, Jakobstad, Vasa).
In 1994 the study was extended to other parts of Finland and southern Sweden.
Until now more than 9000 persons from 1400 families have participated in the Botnia
Study. In order to identify early metabolic defects extensive phenotyping has been
carried out. In addition,the participants are seen at 3 year intervals at the centers.
Three genome-wide scans have been carried out in collaboration with our partners
at the Whitehead/MIT Center for Genome Research, Cambridge, USA. Several chromosomal
regions of potential importance for type 2 diabetes have been identified. The next
step, i.e. the identification of the underlying diabetes genes has not been an easy
task. Type 2 diabetes most likely develops from a collision between susceptibility
genes and an affluent environment. We do not yet know the identity of these genes or
how they interact with the environment. However, with the description of the human genome
in year 2000, the tools have markedly improved.
It is my sincere hope that this meeting will provide a unique opportunity to explore
these possibilities and to experience the environment, which has fostered a lot of
research in this field during the past 10 years.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the family members, the sponsors,
the hard workers and to wish you all welcome to Vaasa and the Botnia region.
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