The FinnDiane Study
The nationwide Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy (FinnDiane) Study launched in 1997 has established its position as the world leading project on diabetic nephropathy. To date, the study comprises more than 8,000 well characterized patients with type 1 diabetes recruited from 93 centers all over Finland.
Long disease duration accompanied by poor glycemic control increase the risk of late diabetic complications in patients with type 1 diabetes. However, genetic as well as lifestyle factors also affect the development of microvascular (nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy) and macrovascular complications (myocardial infarction, stroke). The main aim is to elucidate why one third of the patients develop diabetic nephropathy with subsequent risk of macrovascular disease and premature death. Understanding the interplay between the environment, genes and lifestyle may help identify people at risk and may help tailoring preventative measures for susceptible patients.
A number of environmental, life style and genetic risk factors have been described by the group, but of particular interest is the potential deleterious effects on the kidneys of chronic exposure to bacterial compounds and an inflammatory gut. Another promising hypothesis is diabetes-induced hypoxia that by a number of downstream effects can cause irreversible damage to tissues. Major efforts are made to dissect the genetic landscape of diabetic complications by employing state-of-the-art methods such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), exome- and whole genome sequencing, and epigenetics. We have identified multiple genetic factors that affect the risk of diabetic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular disease and blood glucose balance. As one of the largest studies participating in an international collaboration including 19,406 individuals with type 1 diabetes, we identified 16 novel genetic factors, including a common missense variant of COL4A3 gene that reduced the risk of diabetic kidney disease. With the ongoing sequencing efforts, we aim to identify also rare genetic factors that may have a larger impact on the risk of diabetic complications on individual level.
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Senior Scientist
Per-Henrik Groop
Daniel Gordin
Erika Parente
Lena Thorn
Markku Lehto
Niina Sandholm
Paula Summanen
Valma Harjutsalo
Post-doctoral Scientist
Anmol Kumar
Anna Syreeni
Emma Dahlström
Fanny Jansson-Sigfrids
Hanne Salmenkari
Heidi Tikkanen-Dolenc
Johan Wadén
Krishna Adeshara
Liisa Tomppo
Maija Feodoroff
Markku Saraheimo
Milla Kallio
Nicu Panduru
Nina Elonen
Raija Lithovius
Rasmus Simonsen
Stefan Mutter
Stefanie Hägg-Holmberg
Doctoral Researchers
Aleksi Tarkkonen
Anni Antikainen
Anni Ylinen
Anniina Pirttiniemi
Anniina Tynjälä
Erkka Valo
Hanna Paajanen
Jani Haukka
Jenny Wadén
Jussi Inkeri
Kajsa Roslund
Mari-Anne Härmä
Marika Eriksson
Miia Mannerla
Nadja Vuori
Patrik Smidtslund
Susanna Satuli-Autere
Tor-Björn Claesson
Vili Kostamo
Visiting Scientists
Drazenka Pongrac
Lars Stechemesser
Luciano Bernardi
Luke Carroll
Staff
Anna Sandelin
Ann-Sofie Sundbäck
Emilia Franzén
Hanna Olanne
Heli Krigsman
Jaana Tuomikangas
Johanna Jalo
Johanna Soininen
Kirsi Uljala
Lukas Lehtonen
Sofia Hernberg
Medical Students
Emil Lindroos
Ina Lampenius
Johanna Blomqvist
Lina Snickars
Matias Seppälä
Renata Lindberg
Jansson F, Forsblom C, Harjutsalo V, Thorn LM, Wadén J, Elonen N, Saraheimo M, Groop PH; on behalf of the FinnDiane Study Group. Consequences and causes of regression of albuminuria in patients with type 1 diabetes: the FinnDiane Study. Diabetologia 2018; 61:1203–1211.
Thorn LM*, Shams S*, Gordin D, Liebkind R, Forsblom C, Summanen P, Hägg-Holmberg S, Putaala J, Tatlisumak T, Salonen O, Martola J**, Groop P-H**, FinnDiane Study Group. Clinical and MRI features of cerebral small vessel disease in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care 42: 327-330, 2019
Salem RM, Todd JN, Sandholm N, Cole JB, Chen W-M, Andrews D, Pezzolesi MG, McKeigue PM, Hiraki LT, Qiu C, Nair V, Di Liao C, Cao JJ, Valo E, Onengut-Gumuscu S, Smiles AM, McGurnaghan SJ, Haukka J, Harjutsalo V, Brennan E, Van Zuydam N, Ahlqvist E, Doyle R, Ahluwalia T, Lajer M, Hughes M, Park J, Skupien J, Spiliopoulou A, Liu A, Menon R, Boustany-Kari CM, Kang HM, Nelson RG, Klein R, Klein B, Lee K, Gao X, Mauer M, Maestroni S, Caramori ML, de Boer IH, Miller R, Gao J, Boright AP, Tregouet D, Gyorgy B, Snell-Bergeon JK, Maahs DM, Bull SB, Canty AJ, Palmer C, Stechemesser L, Paulweber B, Witgasser R, Sokolovska J, Rovite V, Pirags V, Prakapiene E, Radzeviciene L, Verkauskiene R, Panduru NM, Groop LC, McCarthyM, Gu H, Möllsten A, Falhammar H, Brismar K, Martin F, Rossing P, Costacou T, Zerbini G, Marre M, Hadjadj S, McKnight AJ, Forsblom C, McKay G, Godson C, Maxwell AP, Kretzler M, Susztak K, Colhoun HM, Krolewski A, Paterson AD, Groop P-H, Rich SS, Hirschhorn JN, Florez JC. Genome-wide association study of diabetic kidney disease highlights biology involved in renal basement membrane collagen. JASN 30: 2000-2016, 2019
Vuori N*, Sandholm N*, Kumar A*, Hietala K, Syreeni A, Forsblom C, Juuti-Uusitalo K, Skottman H, Imamura M, Naeda S, Summanen PA, Lehto M, Groop P-H*, FinnDiane Study Group. CACNB2 is a novel susceptibility gene for diabetic retinopathy in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 68: 2165-2174, 2019
Tikkanen-Dolenc H, Wadén J, Forsblom C, Harjutsalo V, Thorn LM, Saraheimo M, Elonen N, Hietala K, Summanen P, Tikkanen HO, and Groop P-H, on behalf of the FinnDiane Study Group. Frequent physical activity is associated with reduced risk of severe diabetic retinopathy in type 1 diabetes. Acta diabetol. 2020, 57, 527-534.
Eriksson M, Gordin D, Shams S, Forsblom C, Summanen P, Liebkind R, Tatlisumak T, Putaala J, Groop PH, Martola J, Thorn LM. Nocturnal blood pressure is associated with cerebral small-vessel disease in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2020; 43(8):e96–e98.
Guo J, Rackham OJL, He B, Österholm A-M, Sandholm N, Valo E, Harjutsalo V, Forsblom C, Toppila I, Parkkonen M, Li Q, Zhu W, Harmston N, Chothani S, Öhman MK, Eng E, Sun Y, Petretto E, Groop P-H*, Tryggvason K*. Whole genome sequencing in Finnish type 1 diabetic siblings discordant for kidney disease reveals DNA variants associated with diabetic nephropathy. JASN 31: 309-323, 2020
Tynjälä A, Forsblom C, Harjutsalo V, Groop P-H, Gordin D, FinnDiane Study Group. Early arterial pulse wave reflections predict all-cause mortality in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care 43: 2266-2271, 2020
Simonsen R, Järvinen A, Harjutsalo V, Forsblom C, Lehto M, Groop P-H, FinnDiane Study Group. The association between bacterial infections and the risk of coronary heart disease in type 1 diabetes. J Intern Med 288: 711-724, 2020
Antikainen AAV*, Sandholm N*, Tregouet DA, Charmet R, McKnight AJ, Ahluwalia TS, Syreeni A, Valo E, Forsblom C, Gordin D, Harjutsalo V, Hadjadj S, Maxwell AP, Rossing P, Groop PH: Genome-wide association study on coronary artery disease in type 1 diabetes suggests beta-defensin 127 as a risk locus. Cardiovasc Res. , 2020
Ahola AJ, Radzeviciene L, Zaharenko L, Bulum T, Skrebinska S, Prakapiene E, Blaslov K, Roso V, Rovite V, Pirags V, Duvnjak L, Sokolovksa J, Verkauskiene R, Forsblom C. The association between symptoms of depression, diabetes complications and vascular risk factors in four European cohorts of individuals with type 1 diabetes – InterDiane Consortium. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2020;170:108495.
Ahola AJ, Harjutsalo V, Forsblom C, Pouwer F, Groop PH. Depression is associated with progression of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2021;44:174–180.
Parente EB, Dahlström E, Harjutsalo V, Inkeri JM, Mutter S, Forsblom C, Sandholm N Gordin D, Groop P-H, FinnDiane Study Group. The relationship between body fat distribution and non-alcoholic fatty liver in adults with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care2021 May 24:dc203175. doi: 10.2337/dc20-3175. Online ahead of print.
Harjutsalo V, Pongrac Barlovic D, Gordin D, Forsblom C, King G, Groop P-H, FinnDiane Study Group. Presence and determinants of cardiovascular disease and mortality in individuals with type 1 diabetes of long duration – the FinnDiane 50 years of diabetes study. Diabetes Care 2021 Jun 23:dc202816. doi: 10.2337/dc20-2816. Online ahead of print.
Mutter S, Valo E, Aittomäki V, Nybo K, Raivonen L, Thorn LM, Forsblom C, Sandholm N, Würtz, Peter, Groop P-H. Urinary metabolite profiling identifies biomarkers for risk of progression of diabetic nehropathy in 2670 individuals with type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia 2021(in press)
Academy of Finland
EFSD Rising Star Fellowship Program
European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)
Finnish Diabetes Research Society
Finska Läkaresällskapet (Finnish Medical Society)
Folkhälsan Research Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Liv och Hälsa Foundation
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Novo Nordisk Foundation
Nylands Nation
Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation
The Helsinki University Central Hospital Research Funds
University of Helsinki funded doctoral program
Wilhelm and Else Stockmann Foundation
National
Prof. Johan Eriksson (University of Helsinki)
Prof. Leif Groop (University of Helsinki and University of Lund, Sweden)
Prof. Sohvi Hörkkö (University of Oulu)
Doc. Matti Jauhiainen (University of Helsinki)
Doc. Juha Kirveskari (University of Helsinki)
Prof. Mikael Knip (University of Helsinki)
Prof. Sanna Lehtonen (University of Helsinki)
Doc. Markus Metsälä (University of Helsinki)
Prof. Markus Perola (University of Helsinki)
Prof. Kirsi Pietiläinen (University of Helsinki)
Doc. Pirkko Pussinen (University of Helsinki)
Doc. Jukka Putaala (University of Helsinki)
Doc. Paula Summanen (University of Helsinki)
Prof. Marja-Riitta Taskinen (University of Helsinki)
Prof. Heikki Tikkanen (University of Eastern Finland, University of Helsinki)
Prof. Ilkka Tikkanen (University of Helsinki)
Doc. Tiinamaija Tuomi (University of Helsinki)
International
Prof. Helen Colhoun (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Prof. Mark Cooper (Monash University, Australia)
Prof. Assam El-Osta (Monash University, Australia)
Ass. Prof. Paola Fioretto (University of Padova, Italy)
Ass. Prof. Jose Florez (Harvard University, USA)
Prof. Allan Flyvbjerg (University of Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark),
Prof. Alessia Fornoni (University of Miami, USA)
Prof. Catherine Godson (University of Dublin, Ireland)
Prof. Maria Gomez (University of Lund, Sweden)
Prof. Samy Hadjadj (University of Poitiers, France)
Prof. Joel Hirschhorn (Harvard University, USA)
Prof. Harry Holthöfer (University of Freiburg, Germany)
Prof. Andrzej S. Krolewski (Harvard University, USA)
Ass. Prof. Christine Maric (NIH, USA)
Prof. A. Peter Maxwell (University of Belfast, UK)
Ass. Prof. Andrew Patterson (University of Toronto, Canada)
Prof. Massimo Porta (University of Torino, Italy)
Prof. Peter Rossing (University of Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark)
Prof. Kumar Sharma (University of San Diego, USA)
Prof. Karl Tryggvason (University of DukeNUS, Singapore)
Contact
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Per-Henrik Groop
MD, DMSc, Professor, Group Leader
Tel:
+358 50 043 0436-
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