The association between FTO gene polymorphism rs9939609 and obesity is sex-specific in the population of PURE study in Poland

Abstract

The association between FTO gene polymorphism rs9939609 and obesity is sex-specific in the population of PURE study in Poland Abstract Background. Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) polymorphism remains the strongest known genetic determinant of common obesity. However, its influence depends on ethnicity, and the FTO-mediated predisposition to other metabolic disturbances is questionable.Objectives. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and metabolic syndrome in a population of Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study in Poland.Material and methods. We enrolled 1,097 participants of the PURE study (683 women and 414 men) from the Lower Silesian voivodeship. Anthropometrical parameters and blood pressure were measured. Blood samples were taken for an examination of lipid profile and fasting glucose level. Genomic DNA was isolated and FTO polymorphism rs9939609 was genotyped.Results. Male A-allele carriers had significantly higher mean body mass, body mass index (BMI), waistto-hip ratio (WHR), and waist and hip circumferences than men without risk allele. They were also more often diagnosed with obesity on the basis of BMI and central obesity parameters. No such influence was observed in women. There were no significant associations between FTO polymorphism and metabolic syndrome or its components. Conclusions.Our results suggest a sex-specific association between FTO polymorphism and obesity traits. The occurrence of metabolic syndrome or its components was not related with FTO gene variation in our cohort.

Association between the FTO SNP rs9939609 and Metabolic Syndrome in Chilean Children

“…Although the association found between the rs9939609 SNP and MetS is in line with evidence from other authors, and remains constant in different ethnicities [47][48][49][50][51][52][53], the mechanism by which the polymorphism influences the development of MetS and the alteration of its components is unclear [47,48,54]. One hypothesis is that its role in lipogenesis, widely described [55,56], derives from the associated metabolic alterations, but this has not been demonstrated [47,57]. In this regard, our results show that for each risk allele (A), there is a significant increase in the amount of fatty tissue and abdominal obesity measured by WC.…”

Immune Response and Lipid Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with the Risk of Obesity in Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients

“…Moreover, lipid metabolism also varies according to gender and age. Recently, a gender-specific association of FTO gene polymorphism with risk of obesity was revealed [57]. Therefore, the gender-and age-modulated associations of SNPs in the inflammatory response and lipid metabolism genes with obesity risk identified in the present study suggest the role of gene-gender interactions in the development of this pathology.…”

The FTO gene is not associated with weight gain during six years of observation in the population of the PURE study in Poland

“…No such associations were found in females. The reasons for these sex-dependent differences in the influence of FTO on body mass parameters are discussed in our other publication [21]. However, the current study indicates that FTO risk alleles have no significant influence on weight gain in our study group over the six-year study period.…”