Association of FTO polymorphisms with obesity and metabolic parameters in Han Chinese adolescents

PLoS One. 2014 Jun 9;9(6):e98984. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098984. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have suggested that fat mass-and obesity-associated (FTO) gene is associated with body mass index (BMI) and the risk of obesity. This study aims to assess the association of five FTO polymorphisms (rs9939609, rs8050136, rs1558902, rs3751812 and rs6499640) with obesity and relative parameters in Han Chinese adolescents.

Methods: We examined a total of 401 adolescents, 223 normal weights (58.7% boys, 41.3% girls), 178 overweight (60.1% boys, 39.9% girls), aging from 14 to 18-years-old, recruited randomly from public schools in the central region of Wuxi, a southern city of China. DNA samples were genotyped for the five polymorphisms by Sequenom Plex MassARRAY. Association of the FTO polymorphisms with BMI, serum fasting plasm glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FIns), triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol (TC) were investigated.

Results: 1) Serum FPG, FIns, TG and TC were statistically significant higher than that in normal control group. 2) We found that BMI was higher in the rs9939609 TA+AA, rs8050136 AC+AA, rs1558902 TA+AA and rs3751812 GT+TT genotypes than in wild TT genotypes (rs9939609: P = 0.038; rs1558902: P = 0.038;), CC genotypes(rs8050136: P = 0.024) and GG genotypes (rs3751812: P = 0.024), which were not significant on adjusting for multiple testing. 3) In case-control studies, five polymorphisms were not significantly associated with overweight (p>0.05), haplotype analyses showed non-haplotype is significantly associated with a higher risk of being overweight (p>0.05). 4) There existed no significant statistical difference about FPG, FIns, TG and TC in genotype model for any SNP.

Conclusions: Our study has conducted a genetic association study of the FTO polymorphisms with BMI, serum fasting plasm glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FIns), triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol (TC). Our study found BMI of subjects with A allele of FTO rs9939609 is higher than that with T allele. Further studies on other polymorphisms from FTO and increasing the sample size are needed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO
  • Asian People / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Linkage Disequilibrium
  • Male
  • Obesity / genetics*
  • Obesity / metabolism*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • Proteins
  • Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO
  • FTO protein, human

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 81072364), the Knowledge Innovation Program in Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KSCX2- EW-R-06) to YLW, and Science and Technology Development Fund of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health & Family Planning (2011GJ02). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.