Background: Fetal programming of diabetes might originate in early pregnancy when fingerprints are permanently established. The mean dermatoglyphic ridge count difference between fingertips 1 and 5 ('Md15') varies with the early prenatal environment. We hypothesized that Md15 would be associated with adult-onset diabetes.
Methods: We obtained Md15 from 577 Dutch adults (aged 58.9 years, SD 1.1) whose births in 1943-47 were documented in maternity records and from 260 of their same-sex siblings for whom birth weights were not available. Of these 837 participants, complete anthropometry and diabetes status (from history or glucose tolerance test) were obtained for 819.
Results: After adjustment for age, sex, parental diabetes and adult anthropometry, fingerprint Md15 was associated with prevalent diabetes [odds ratio (OR) = 1.37 per 1 SD (95% confidence interval 1.02-1.84)]. This relationship held [OR = 1.40 (1.03-1.92)] for diabetic cases restricted to those recently diagnosed (within 7 years). In the birth series restricted to recently diagnosed cases, the mutually adjusted ORs were 1.34 (1.00-1.79) per SD of Md15 and 0.83 (0.62-1.10) per SD of birth weight. Further adjustments for maternal smoking, conception season or prenatal famine exposure in 1944-45 did not alter these estimates. Among 42 sibling pairs discordant for diabetes, the diabetic sibling had higher Md15 by 3.5 (0.6-6.3) after multivariable adjustment.
Conclusions: Diabetes diagnosed at age 50+ years was associated with a fingerprint marker established in early gestation, irrespective of birth weight. Fingerprints may provide a useful tool to investigate prenatal developmental plasticity.