title: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C->T polymorphism: a link between birth weight and insulin resistance in obese adolescents.
abstract: The goal of this study is to determine whether cardiovascular risk and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C->T polymorphism (MTHFR), an enzyme involved in folate metabolism and in epigenetics, are linked in morbidly obese non-diabetic adolescents. One-hundred and thirteen obese (BMI = 39.1 ± 6.4 kg/m(2)) adolescents aged 14.4 ± 1.5 years were investigated before entering a weight reduction program. Information on growth obtained from individual health records was available at birth (n = 107), 1 (n = 102), 2 (n = 106), 4 (n = 91) and 8 (n = 73) years of age. Fifty-nine subjects were heterozygote (CT, 52.2%) and 8 were homozygote for the mutation (TT, 7.0%). Birth weights were lower in TT (2.95 ± 0.48 kg, p = 0.004) than in CC (3.34 ± 0.43 kg) and CT (3.38 ± 0.50 kg) subjects, as well as birth lengths (CC: 0.50 ± 0.02 m, CT : 0.50 ± 0.02 m, TT: 0.47 ± 0.03 m, p = 0.01). These differences persisted until 1 year of age. Median and mean fasting glycaemia were similar. Insulin levels were higher in TT (median: 26.4 UI/mL) than in CC (median: 15.0 UI/mL) or CT (median: 16.0 UI/mL) (p = 0.017) subjects, as well as HOMA IR (p = 0.04). Body composition, blood pressure, plasma lipids, homocysteine and leptin concentrations were similar among the three genotypes in both boys and girls. The common 677 C->T mutation seems therefore to represent a link between altered early growth and enhanced degree of insulin resistance that occurs later in obese adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Cochin-Saint Vincent de Paul Hospital, France. marie-laure.frelut@svp.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Marie-Laure
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Frelut
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Nicolas
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Guilland
authors.forename: Genevieve Potier
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: de Courcy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000235:genetics*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)