BACKGROUND: Little is known about genes that affect childhood body weight. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the association between alleles of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) gene and obesity because UCP2 may influence energy expenditure. DESIGN: We related UCP2 genotype to body composition and resting energy expenditure in 105 children aged 6-10 y. Overweight children and nonoverweight children of overweight parents were genotyped for a 45-base pair deletion/insertion (del/ins) in 3'-untranslated region of exon 8 and for an exon 4 C to T transition. RESULTS: Eighty-nine children were genotyped for the exon 8 allele: 50 children had del/del, 33 had del/ins, and 6 had ins/ins. Mean (+/-SD) body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) was greater for children with del/ins (24.1 +/- 5.9) than for children with del/del (20.4 +/- 4.8; P < 0.001). BMI of ins/ins children (23.7 +/- 7.8) was not significantly different from that of del/ins children. A greater BMI in del/ins children was independent of race and sex. Body composition was also different according to UCP2 genotype. All body circumferences and skinfold thicknesses examined were significantly greater in del/ins than in del/del children. Body fat mass as determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was also greater in del/ins than in del/del children (P < 0.005). For 104 children genotyped at exon 4, no significant differences in BMI or body composition were found among the 3 exon 4 genotypes. Neither resting energy expenditure nor respiratory quotient were different according to UCP2 exon 4 or exon 8 genotype. CONCLUSIONS: The exon 8 ins/del polymorphism of UCP2 appears to be associated with childhood-onset obesity. The UCP2/UCP3 genetic locus may play a role in childhood body weight.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about genes that affect childhood body weight. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the association between alleles of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) gene and obesity because UCP2 may influence energy expenditure. DESIGN: We related UCP2 genotype to body composition and resting energy expenditure in 105 children aged 6-10 y. Overweight children and nonoverweight children of overweight parents were genotyped for a 45-base pair deletion/insertion (del/ins) in 3'-untranslated region of exon 8 and for an exon 4 C to T transition. RESULTS: Eighty-nine children were genotyped for the exon 8 allele: 50 children had del/del, 33 had del/ins, and 6 had ins/ins. Mean (+/-SD) body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) was greater for children with del/ins (24.1 +/- 5.9) than for children with del/del (20.4 +/- 4.8; P < 0.001). BMI of ins/ins children (23.7 +/- 7.8) was not significantly different from that of del/ins children. A greater BMI in del/ins children was independent of race and sex. Body composition was also different according to UCP2 genotype. All body circumferences and skinfold thicknesses examined were significantly greater in del/ins than in del/del children. Body fat mass as determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was also greater in del/ins than in del/del children (P < 0.005). For 104 children genotyped at exon 4, no significant differences in BMI or body composition were found among the 3 exon 4 genotypes. Neither resting energy expenditure nor respiratory quotient were different according to UCP2 exon 4 or exon 8 genotype. CONCLUSIONS: The exon 8 ins/del polymorphism of UCP2 appears to be associated with childhood-onset obesity. The UCP2/UCP3 genetic locus may play a role in childhood body weight.
Authors: S A Urhammer; L T Dalgaard; T I Sørensen; A M Møller; T Andersen; A Tybjaerg-Hansen; T Hansen; J O Clausen; H Vestergaard; O Pedersen Journal: Diabetologia Date: 1997-10 Impact factor: 10.122
Authors: K Clément; J Ruiz; A M Cassard-Doulcier; F Bouillaud; D Ricquier; A Basdevant; B Guy-Grand; P Froguel Journal: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord Date: 1996-12
Authors: J Matsuda; K Hosoda; H Itoh; C Son; K Doi; T Tanaka; Y Fukunaga; G Inoue; H Nishimura; Y Yoshimasa; Y Yamori; K Nakao Journal: FEBS Lett Date: 1997-11-24 Impact factor: 4.124
Authors: S A Urhammer; L T Dalgaard; T I Sørensen; A Tybjaerg-Hansen; S M Echwald; T Andersen; J O Clausen; O Pedersen Journal: Diabetologia Date: 1998-02 Impact factor: 10.122
Authors: Adam Mitchell; Faith Pangilinan; Julie Van der Meer; Anne M Molloy; James Troendle; Mary Conley; Peadar N Kirke; John M Scott; Lawrence C Brody; James L Mills Journal: Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol Date: 2009-02
Authors: S Maestrini; F Podestà; A M Di Blasio; G Savia; A Brunani; A Tagliaferri; M Mencarelli; I Chiodini; A Liuzzi Journal: J Endocrinol Invest Date: 2003-10 Impact factor: 4.256