title: Association between leptin receptor (LEPR) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene variants and obesity: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human and animal studies provide evidence for a relevant role of the leptin receptor (LEPR) and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes in energy homeostasis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between human LEPR and BDNF genetic variants with adult obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study in Pamplona (Navarra, Spain) with adult obese subjects (n = 159) and normal weight controls (n = 154). Four common polymorphisms of the LEPR gene (Lys109Arg, Gln223Arg, Ser343Ser, Lys656Asn) and 17 variants of the BDNF gene, including the Val66Met variant, were genotyped.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant case-control differences were found in allele/genotype frequencies after adjusting for relevant co-variates. Haplotype analysis did not detect any significant association between LEPR or BDNF variants and obesity. No associations were found between LEPR variants and serum leptin levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results do not support a major role of LEPR or BDNF common polymorphisms in multifactorial adult obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Physiology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. amarti@unav.es
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gratacos
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Moreno-Aliaga
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maiz
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Estivill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000235:genetics*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D054411:Receptors, Leptin