title: Common genetic variations in CCK, leptin, and leptin receptor genes are associated with specific human eating patterns.
abstract: Obesity has a heritable component; however, the heterogeneity of obesity complicates dissection of its genetic background. In this study, we therefore focused on eating patterns as specific traits within obesity. These traits have a heritable component; genes associated with a specific eating pattern have not yet been reported at the population level. In this study, we determined whether genetic variations in cholecystokinin (CCK) and leptin genes underlie specific eating patterns. We selected obese individuals showing extreme snacking behavior or use of excessive portion sizes from a large population-based sample (n = 17,357) from the Prospect-EPIC (European Prospective Study into Cancer and Nutrition) study. Using allele-specific PCRs, we tested several single nucleotide polymorphisms in the candidate genes and performed haplotype analysis. Obese carriers of common allelic variations in leptin or the leptin receptor gene had an increased risk to display extreme snacking behavior. In contrast, obese carriers of common allelic variations in CCK had an increased risk to eating increased meal sizes. In conclusion, we identified common allelic variants specifically associated with distinctly different eating patterns, namely extreme snacking behavior or excessive portion size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Anatomy, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. m.dekrom@med.uu.nl
authors.forename: Mariken
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Krom
authors.forename: Yvonne T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: van der Schouw
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.forename: Roel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ophoff
authors.forename: Carla H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: van Gils
authors.forename: Ronald P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Stolk
authors.forename: Diederick E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Grobbee
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000235:genetics*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: C515448:LEPR protein, human; D020738:Leptin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D002766:Cholecystokinin