Sequence variants of the POMC gene and their associations with body composition in children.
We investigated POMC sequence variants in 242 overweight and nonoverweight African-American and white children and examined the associations between body composition and POMC polymorphisms. Three novel polymorphisms and two previously identified sequence variants were found: A7301G, A7429G, and C8246T were all in untranslated regions. A 9-bp (AGC AGC GGC) duplication/insertion was found between positions 7677 and 7678, and one normal-weight African-American girl had a 45-bp triple duplication/insertion at this location. Compared with whites, African-American children were significantly more likely to have polymorphisms A7301G, A7429G, and the 9-bp insertion. However, there were no significant associations between any of the polymorphisms and body composition. Five African-American subjects who were homozygous for A7429G had a trend (p = 0.08) for a greater BMI-SD score (5.3 +/- 5.3 kg/m(2)) compared with wild-type children (BMI-SD score, 2.4 +/- 3.2 kg/m(2)) or heterozygotes (BMI-SD score, 2.7 +/- 3.7 kg/m(2)). However, there were no differences in BMI-SD score for A7429G when African American subjects were studied separately and both gender and height were taken into account. The contribution of the POMC gene variants we studied to pediatric-onset obesity seems to be limited.
Unit on Growth and Obesity, Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 208*2-1862, USA. Fengn@mail.nih.gov
Ningping
N
Feng
Diane
D
Adler-Wailes
Jane
J
Elberg
Jeff Y
JY
Chin
Erica
E
Fallon
Alison
A
Carr
Teresa
T
Frazer
Jack A
JA
Yanovski
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000235:genetics; D001823:Body Composition / Q000235:genetics*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D004247:DNA