This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The hypothesis of this study is that Asian Americans compared to Caucasians, will be at higher risk of developing a pro-inflammatory state that may contribute to the development of heart disease and diabetes when they change from a traditional Asian diet to a typical American diet. These inflammatory responses will be reflected by the activation of monocytes as measured by protein kinase C (PKC), a known activator of monocytes. It is hypothesized that these inflammatory responses in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) will reflect similar changes of these markers in the plasma and monocytes. The specific aims of this study are to compare the inflammatory responses (primary PKC activation in monocytes), between Far-East Asian Americans and Caucasian Americans, when they change from a traditional Asian diet to a typical American diet and also to correlate the biochemical changes of inflammatory responses in the plasma and monocytes with those in the gingival crevicular fluid.