Obesity genes identified in genome-wide association studies are associated with adiposity measures and potentially with nutrient-specific food preference.
BACKGROUND
New genetic loci, most of which are expressed in the brain, have recently been reported to contribute to the development of obesity. The brain, especially the hypothalamus, is strongly involved in regulating weight and food intake.


OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether the recently reported obesity loci are associated with measures of abdominal adiposity and whether these variants affect dietary energy or macronutrient intake.


METHODS
We studied 1700 female Dutch participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Their anthropometric measurements and intake of macronutrients were available. Genotyping was performed by using KASPar chemistry. A linear regression model, with an assumption of an additive effect, was used to analyze the association between genotypes of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and adiposity measures and dietary intake.


RESULTS
Seven SNPs were associated (P < 0.05) with weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (unadjusted for BMI). They were in or near to 6 loci: FTO, MC4R, KCTD15, MTCH2, NEGR1, and BDNF. Five SNPs were associated with dietary intake (P < 0.05) and were in or near 5 loci: SH2B1 (particularly with increased fat), KCTD15 (particularly with carbohydrate intake), MTCH2, NEGR1, and BDNF.


CONCLUSIONS
We confirmed some of the findings for the newly identified obesity loci that are associated with general adiposity in a healthy Dutch female population. Our results suggest that these loci are not specifically associated with abdominal adiposity but more generally with obesity. We also found that some of the SNPs were associated with macronutrient-specific food intake.
Bauer
Florianne
F
Complex Genetics Section, Department of Medical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Elbers
Clara C
CC
Adan
Roger Ah
RA
Loos
Ruth Jf
RJ
Onland-Moret
N Charlotte
NC
Grobbee
Diederick E
DE
van Vliet-Ostaptchouk
Jana V
JV
Wijmenga
Cisca
C
van der Schouw
Yvonne T
YT
D050153:Abdominal Fat; D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics*; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000235:genetics*