Studies of the associations between functional beta2-adrenergic receptor variants and obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes in 7,808 white subjects.
OBJECTIVE
Functional and common Arg16Gly and Gln27Glu polymorphisms have been identified in ADRB2, the gene encoding the beta2-adrenergic receptor. These variants have previously been examined for association with obesity, hypertension and diabetes with inconclusive results.


METHODS
We investigated both of these variants in 7,808 unrelated, middle-aged white people for their association with obesity in a case-control study, quantitative trait analysis and meta-analysis. Moreover, both variants were investigated for their potential influence on measures of hypertension and type 2 diabetes by case-control and quantitative trait analyses.


RESULTS
The present study did not find consistent evidence for an association of these beta2-adrenergic receptor variants with obesity or hypertension; neither did the quantitative trait analyses show any effect of the variants on obesity-related traits. However, both the Gly allele of the Arg16Gly variant and the Glu allele of the Gln27Glu variant showed nominal association with systolic blood pressure. Furthermore, there was a nominal association of the Arg16 allele frequency and genotype distribution with type 2 diabetes; however, no influence on quantitative biochemical phenotypes related to type 2 diabetes was found. A nominal association of the Arg/Gly genotype with the metabolic syndrome was also observed (p=0.003). Logistic regression analyses provided no evidence of a synergistic or an additive effect of these variants on obesity, hypertension or diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
After studying 7,808 middle-aged white subjects, we were unable to demonstrate any consistent associations between two common amino acid polymorphisms of the beta2-adrenergic receptor and obesity, hypertension or type 2 diabetes.
Gjesing
A P
AP
Steno Diabetes Center, Niels Steensens Vej 2, NSH2.16, 2820, Gentofte, Denmark. apri@steno.dk
Andersen
G
G
Burgdorf
K S
KS
Borch-Johnsen
K
K
Jørgensen
T
T
Hansen
T
T
Pedersen
O
O
D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2