Ghrelin receptor gene polymorphisms and body size in children and adults.
BACKGROUND
The GH secretagogue receptor type 1a gene (GHSR) encodes the cognate receptor of ghrelin, a gut hormone that regulates food intake and pituitary GH secretion. Previous studies in U.S. families and a German population suggested GHSR to be a candidate quantitative locus for association with human obesity and growth.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to test common genetic variation in GHSR for association with body size in children and adults.


METHODS
Sequencing was performed to systematically identify novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GHSR. A set of three haplotype-tagging SNPs that captured all the genetic variation in GHSR was identified. These three haplotype-tagging SNPs were then genotyped in three large population-based U.K. cohort studies (two adult and one childhood cohort) comprising 5807 adults and 843 children.


RESULTS
No significant genotype or haplotype associations were found with adult or childhood height, weight, or body mass index.


CONCLUSIONS
Common variation in GHSR is not associated with body size in U.K. adults or children.
Garcia
Edwin A
EA
Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK.
Heude
Barbara
B
Petry
Clive J
CJ
Gueorguiev
Maria
M
Hassan-Smith
Zaki K
ZK
Spanou
Antigoni
A
Ring
Susan M
SM
Dunger
David B
DB
Wareham
Nicholas
N
Sandhu
Manjinder S
MS
Ong
Ken K
KK
Korbonits
Márta
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D049628:Body Size / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics*; D006113:United Kingdom
D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin