G-protein beta3 subunit gene splice variant in obesity and overweight.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the C825T polymorphism of the G-protein beta3 subunit gene (GNB3) is associated with overweight and obesity. This polymorphism leads to a splice variant (Gbeta3-s) with higher activity and very strong association with essential hypertension.


METHODS
A cross-sectional case-control study.


METHODS
The sets of affected and control British/European Caucasian subjects used were: (i) an obesity clinic group most of whom had "morbid obesity" (mean body mass index (BMI) for group=43+/-8 kg/m(2)) and non-obese controls (BMI< or =30); (ii) a group of overweight/obese healthy normotensive community volunteers (BMI>25; mean 29+/-5) and controls (BMI< or =25; mean 23+/-1); (iii) a group of overweight/obese hypertensive patients (BMI>25; mean 30+/-4) and lean hypertensive controls (BMI< or =25; mean=23+/-2).


METHODS
BMI, blood pressure, serum lipids, alleles of GNB3 polymorphism.


RESULTS
Compared with control, frequency of the T allele in obese subjects was higher by 12% in (i), 17% in (ii) and 28% in (iii), but the differences were not statistically significant. Slight tracking of the T allele with elevation in BMI was, however, observed, in the obesity clinic group (P=0.018).


CONCLUSIONS
The C825T splice variant of GNB3 makes little if any contribution to obesity in the groups we tested.
Benjafield
A V
AV
Basic & Clinical Genomics Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Institute for Biomedical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Lin
R C
RC
Dalziel
B
B
Gosby
A K
AK
Caterson
I D
ID
Morris
B J
BJ
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D008055:Lipids; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins