BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with body mass index in healthy adults.
Although recent studies suggest a possible relationship between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism and eating disorders, no study has examined the possibility that the Met-Met genotype is associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) in healthy individuals. We examined this possibility in 481 adults (age range 18-82 years) without significant medical or psychiatric history. After adjusting for gender, analysis of covariance showed that persons with the Met-Met genotype had a lower BMI than those with the Val-Met/Val-Val genotypes (22.28 +/-3.77 vs. 24.72+/-4.81). A similar, though nonsignificant, trend emerged when comparing all three genotypes separately. These findings suggest a possible relationship between Val66Met polymorphism and BMI in healthy adults. Further work is needed to clarify possible mechanisms for this relationship.
Gunstad
John
J
Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA. jgunstad@kent.edu
Schofield
Peter
P
Paul
Robert H
RH
Spitznagel
Mary Beth
MB
Cohen
Ronald A
RA
Williams
Leanne M
LM
Kohn
Michael
M
Gordon
Evian
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics*
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008715:Methionine; D014633:Valine