title: Worldwide ethnic distribution of the G protein beta3 subunit 825T allele and its association with obesity in Caucasian, Chinese, and Black African individuals.
abstract: Recently, it was demonstrated that one allele (825T) of the gene encoding the G protein beta3 subunit (GNB3) is associated with hypertension in Germans. This study investigates a possible association with obesity in young male Germans, Chinese, and black South Africans with low, intermediate, and high 825T allele frequencies, respectively. In each of these three distinct cohorts, the 825T allele frequency was increased significantly in overweight (body mass index [BMI] > or =25 kg/m2) and obese individuals (BMI >27 kg/m2) compared to those with normal weight. The 825T allele frequencies in these three BMI groups were, respectively, 29.5, 39.3, and 47.7% in Germans, 46.8, 53.9, and 58.6% in Chinese, and 83.1, 87.7, and 90.9% in South Africans. In each of these three distinct groups, the 825T allele was significantly associated with obesity with odds ratios between 2 and 3. More urban than rural black Africans were overweight despite similar 825T allele frequencies in both populations, which underscores the role of both genetic and environmental factors. BP values in young male whites increased significantly with increasing BMI values but were independent of the C825T polymorphism, suggesting that hypertension associated with the 825T allele could be a consequence of obesity. Genotyping of 5254 individuals from 55 native population samples from Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Guinea demonstrated highest 825T allele frequencies in black Africans (82%) and intermediate values in east Asians (47%). It is anticipated that high frequencies of the 825T allele in Africans and Asians may contribute to an obesity and hypertension epidemic if Westernization of lifestyles continues.
authors.affiliation: Institute für Pharmakologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Germany. winfried.siffert@uni-essen.de
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Siffert
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jöckel
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Mvere
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crookes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Du P Heyns
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Epplen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fridey
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stolke
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al Moutaery
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grosse-Wilde
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buerbaum
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Horsthemke
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Du Toit
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiilikainen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosskopf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins