Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism is associated with central adiposity and increased androgenicity in healthy postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the association of genetic polymorphisms related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk with anthropometric parameters and indices of androgenicity in healthy postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study in a University Menopause Clinic.


METHODS
The following polymorphisms were assessed in 84 healthy postmenopausal women: glycoprotein IIIa Leu33Pro, apolipoprotein E2/E3/E4, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) Ala222Val, apolipoprotein B Arg3500Gln, paraoxonase 1 Gln192Arg, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 4G/5G, cholesterol-7 alpha-hydroxylase A-204C, and cholesterol ester transfer protein (TaqIB) B1/B2. Hormonal assays included FSH, LH, 17-beta-estradiol, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), DHEA sulfate, Delta-4-androstenedione (Delta4A), free androgen index (FAI), free estrogen index (FEI), and homocysteine (Hcy). The anthropometric components were body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).


RESULTS
MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism was positively associated with testosterone, FAI, and FEI (P=0.001, P=0.0004, and P=0.014 respectively) and negatively with SHBG (P=0.047). Furthermore, women bearing this polymorphism had higher BMI and WHR compared with women with the wild-type variant (P=0.027 and P=0.044 respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism is associated with increased androgenicity and elevated BMI and WHR in healthy postmenopausal women. The significance of this association with respect to the CVD risk of postmenopausal women remains to be elucidated in future studies.
Lambrinoudaki
Irene
I
Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aretaieio Hospital, University of Athens, 27, Themistokleous Street, Dionysos, GR-14578 Athens, Greece. ilambrinoudaki@hotmail.com
Kaparos
George
G
Papadimitriou
Dimitra
D
Sergentanis
Theodoros N
TN
Creatsa
Maria
M
Alexandrou
Andreas
A
Logothetis
Emmanuel
E
Christodoulakos
George
G
Kouskouni
E
E
D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014770:Virilism / Q000235:genetics*; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)