Two British women studies replicated the association between the Val66Met polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and BMI.
The goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between the Val66Met polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and body mass index (BMI) in two sizable and well-characterized populations of British women: the British Women's Heart and Health Study (BWHHS) (age 60-79 years) and the mothers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (age 16-44 years). We genotyped the Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) in these two populations, and conducted a linear regression analysis to test for an association between this polymorphism and BMI. Both study populations indicated an association between BMI and the Val66Met polymorphism, with individuals carrying the Met-Met genotype having a lower mean BMI than those with the Val-Met or Val-Val genotypes (in the BWHHS): mean BMI difference=-0.911 kg/m(2), 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.70 to -0.12, P=0.023; in the mothers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC): mean BMI difference=-0.57 kg/m(2), 95%CI: -1.08 to -0.054, P=0.03). In a pooled analysis of these two studies, together with one further published study that provided data in a suitable format for inclusion in our meta-analysis, we found a pooled difference of -0.76 (95% CI: -1.16, -0.036) for adult women; I(2)-test for heterogeneity=51%, P=0.13. Our study indicated an association between BDNF and BMI in two general population studies of women. The exact role of BDNF in weight regulation merits further investigation.
Shugart
Yin Yao
YY
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. kay1yao@mail.nih.gov
Chen
Lina
L
Day
Ian N M
IN
Lewis
Sarah J
SJ
Timpson
Nicholas J
NJ
Yuan
Wei
W
Abdollahi
Mohammad Reza
MR
Ring
Sue M
SM
Ebrahim
Shah
S
Golding
Jean
J
Lawlor
Debbie A
DA
Davey-Smith
George
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology; D006113:United Kingdom; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008715:Methionine; D014633:Valine