Effects of common FTO gene variants associated with BMI on dietary intake and physical activity in Koreans.
BACKGROUND
Associations with FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene variants and BMI have been reported in western adult populations. To widen the ethnic and age coverage of the FTO studies, we investigated the effects of FTO gene variants on being overweight and related phenotypes in Korean children and adult with a consideration of lifestyle factors.


METHODS
We genotyped 711 children for 2 FTO SNPs (rs9939973 and rs9939609), analyzed lifestyle factors, and investigated the potential involvement of FTO variants in being overweight comparing with 8842 adults in the KSNP database.


RESULTS
With a strong association between FTO gene variants and BMI levels, we further identified an association between rs9939973 or rs9939609 and being overweight both children (P=0.025, OR=1.47, 95% CI=1.05-2.06; P=0.023, OR=1.53, 95% CI=1.06-2.22) and adults (P=0.018, OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.02-1.19; P=0.001, OR=1.16, 95% CI=1.06-1.27). Significant association was observed between rs9939609 and dietary fat intake in children (P=0.008) but not in adults. In low physical activity subgroup of children, rs9939609 A allele carriers had a higher BMI than TT carriers (P=0.0147). A significant interaction effect of rs9939609 on BMI across 3 levels of adult physical activity was found.


CONCLUSIONS
FTO variant rs9939609 is an overweight susceptibility gene in Koreans. By low physical activity, A allele greatly influenced greater BMI.
Lee
Hye-Ja
HJ
Division of Metabolic Disease, Center for Biomedical Sciences, National Institute of Health, 194 Tongillo, Eunpyung-gu, Seoul 122-701, Republic of Korea.
Kim
In Kyoung
IK
Kang
Jae Heon
JH
Ahn
Younjhin
Y
Han
Bok-Ghee
BG
Lee
Jong-Young
JY
Song
Jihyun
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004041:Dietary Fats; D002149:Energy Intake; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D050177:Overweight / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D004041:Dietary Fats; D011506:Proteins; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; C526492:FTO protein, human