Association of Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor gene and no association of Gln223Arg polymorphism of the leptin receptor gene in Japanese schoolchildren with obesity.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor (beta3-AR) gene and Gln223Arg polymorphism of the leptin receptor (Ob-R) gene are associated with obesity in Japanese schoolchildren.


METHODS
Population study of participants from a rural town located within 50 km northeast of Tokyo based on school medical examinations.


METHODS
553 Japanese schoolchildren (291 boys and 262 girls) who were 9-15 y old with a mean age of 11.9 +/- 1.8 y.


METHODS
DNA was extracted from whole blood and genotyped by PCR-RFLP. Height, weight and blood pressure were measured in school medical examinations. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol concentrations were measured by an autoanalyzer. Obesity index, body mass index (BMI) and LDL-cholesterol concentration were calculated by the respective formulae.


RESULTS
In Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-AR gene, the number of obese subjects with Trp/Arg or Arg/Arg genotypes was significantly higher than that of the non-obese subjects (chi2=5.79, P=0.02). The obesity index of subjects with the Arg/Arg or Arg/Trp genotype was significantly higher than that of those with the Trp/Trp genotype (8.2 +/- 18.7% vs 4.5 +/- 15.8%, P=0.04). Moreover, after adjustments for age and gender, BMI of subjects with the Trp/Arg or Arg/Arg genotype was significantly higher than that of those with the Trp/Trp genotype (19.4 +/- 3.6 kg/m2 vs 18.9 +/- 3.2 kg/m2, P= 0.02). However, no significant differences were observed in the clinical characteristics among the genotype groups of the Ob-R gene.


CONCLUSIONS
Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-AR gene appears to be a genetic risk factor for obesity in Japanese children, but Gln223Arg polymorphism of the Ob-R gene does not appear to be associated with obesity.
Endo
K
K
Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
Yanagi
H
H
Hirano
C
C
Hamaguchi
H
H
Tsuchiya
S
S
Tomura
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; C515448:LEPR protein, human; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D014280:Triglycerides; D004247:DNA; D002784:Cholesterol