title: Association between the FTO gene and overweight in Japanese children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene and a predisposition to obesity is inconsistent in adult Asian populations. We investigated the association of the FTO gene with weight status in Japanese children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nested case-control study and 3-yr longitudinal study - In the Shunan Child Cohort Study, fifth and eighth grade students attending all schools of Shunan completed the questionnaires. Overweight, including obesity, was defined as a percentage of overweight of 20% or in accordance with the International Obesity Task Force. We recruited 133 obese subjects and randomly selected controls from the 2006 cohort. We genotyped three FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs3751812, rs9939609, and rs1558902.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The three genotyped SNPs were in tight linkage disequilibrium, with the exception of one case. The minor SNP allele of rs3751812 conferred a predisposition to obesity, and its odds ratio was 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.5-3.4] in the additive model and 2.7 (95% CI, 1.6-4.4) in the dominant model (p < 0.001). Although blood parameters and some lifestyle behaviors were significantly different between the cases and controls (p < 0.01), these traits were not significantly different among the genotypes. In addition, we did not find an association between the genotypes and body mass index change during the 3 yr.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FTO gene is associated with the early onset of overweight in the Japanese population as well as in European populations. The results suggest that obesity-related risk factors in fifth and eighth graders appear because of their overweight status.
authors: Department of Environmental Safety, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan. okuda@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Okuda
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Hinoda
authors: Naoko
authors: N
authors: Okayama
authors: Yutaka
authors: Y
authors: Suehiro
authors: Komei
authors: K
authors: Shirabe
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Sasaki
authors: Ichiro
authors: I
authors: Kunitsugu
authors: Norikazu
authors: N
authors: Yoshitake
authors: Tatsuya
authors: T
authors: Hobara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D050177:Overweight / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; C526492:FTO protein, human