BACKGROUND: The association between the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene and a predisposition to obesity is inconsistent in adult Asian populations. We investigated the association of the FTO gene with weight status in Japanese children and adolescents. DESIGN/ SETTING: Nested case-control study and 3-yr longitudinal study - In the Shunan Child Cohort Study, fifth and eighth grade students attending all schools of Shunan completed the questionnaires. Overweight, including obesity, was defined as a percentage of overweight of 20% or in accordance with the International Obesity Task Force. We recruited 133 obese subjects and randomly selected controls from the 2006 cohort. We genotyped three FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs3751812, rs9939609, and rs1558902. RESULTS: The three genotyped SNPs were in tight linkage disequilibrium, with the exception of one case. The minor SNP allele of rs3751812 conferred a predisposition to obesity, and its odds ratio was 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.5-3.4] in the additive model and 2.7 (95% CI, 1.6-4.4) in the dominant model (p < 0.001). Although blood parameters and some lifestyle behaviors were significantly different between the cases and controls (p < 0.01), these traits were not significantly different among the genotypes. In addition, we did not find an association between the genotypes and body mass index change during the 3 yr. CONCLUSION: The FTO gene is associated with the early onset of overweight in the Japanese population as well as in European populations. The results suggest that obesity-related risk factors in fifth and eighth graders appear because of their overweight status.
BACKGROUND: The association between the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene and a predisposition to obesity is inconsistent in adult Asian populations. We investigated the association of the FTO gene with weight status in Japanese children and adolescents. DESIGN/ SETTING: Nested case-control study and 3-yr longitudinal study - In the Shunan Child Cohort Study, fifth and eighth grade students attending all schools of Shunan completed the questionnaires. Overweight, including obesity, was defined as a percentage of overweight of 20% or in accordance with the International Obesity Task Force. We recruited 133 obese subjects and randomly selected controls from the 2006 cohort. We genotyped three FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs3751812, rs9939609, and rs1558902. RESULTS: The three genotyped SNPs were in tight linkage disequilibrium, with the exception of one case. The minor SNP allele of rs3751812 conferred a predisposition to obesity, and its odds ratio was 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.5-3.4] in the additive model and 2.7 (95% CI, 1.6-4.4) in the dominant model (p < 0.001). Although blood parameters and some lifestyle behaviors were significantly different between the cases and controls (p < 0.01), these traits were not significantly different among the genotypes. In addition, we did not find an association between the genotypes and body mass index change during the 3 yr. CONCLUSION: The FTO gene is associated with the early onset of overweight in the Japanese population as well as in European populations. The results suggest that obesity-related risk factors in fifth and eighth graders appear because of their overweight status.
Authors: Qibin Qi; Mary K Downer; Tuomas O Kilpeläinen; H Rob Taal; Sheila J Barton; Ioanna Ntalla; Marie Standl; Vesna Boraska; Ville Huikari; Jessica C Kiefte-de Jong; Antje Körner; Timo A Lakka; Gaifen Liu; Jessica Magnusson; Masayuki Okuda; Olli Raitakari; Rebecca Richmond; Robert A Scott; Mark E S Bailey; Kathrin Scheuermann; John W Holloway; Hazel Inskip; Carmen R Isasi; Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani; Vincent W V Jaddoe; Jaana Laitinen; Virpi Lindi; Erik Melén; Yannis Pitsiladis; Niina Pitkänen; Harold Snieder; Joachim Heinrich; Nicholas J Timpson; Tao Wang; Hinoda Yuji; Eleftheria Zeggini; George V Dedoussis; Robert C Kaplan; Judith Wylie-Rosett; Ruth J F Loos; Frank B Hu; Lu Qi Journal: Diabetes Date: 2015-02-26 Impact factor: 9.461