title: Uncoupling protein-2 45-base pair insertion/deletion polymorphism: is there an association with severe obesity and weight loss in morbidly obese subjects?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Uncoupling proteins are attractive candidate genes for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Our aim was to investigate the potential association of the uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) 45-bp insertion/deletion (ins/del) polymorphism with obesity, as well as the potential effect of this polymorphism on weight loss variability in severely obese subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 158 severely obese subjects (94 without and 64 with metabolic syndrome) and 91 age and sex-matched lean controls were recruited. A subgroup of 124 obese patients participated in a 3-month weight loss program. Anthropometric and metabolic variables were measured. Participants were genotyped for the UCP2 ins/del polymorphism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Allelic frequency differed neither between obese subjects and controls (P=0.56), nor between obese subjects with versus without metabolic syndrome (P=0.58). At 3 months, metabolically healthy subjects carrying the insertion allele had significantly greater reduction in body mass index (P=0.029) and fat-free mass (P=0.013) and a borderline significant improvement in the homeostatic model assessment index (P=0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no association of the UCP2 ins/del polymorphism with morbid obesity in our population, but this genotype appears to be linked with a favorable response to dietary changes in metabolically healthy obese subjects.
authors.affiliation: Outpatient Clinic of Obesity, Diabetes, and Metabolism in the Second Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece. dpapazog@med.duth.gr
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papazoglou
authors.forename: Pantelis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papathanasiou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papanas
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papatheodorou
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chatziangeli
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nikitidis
authors.forename: Stamatia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kotsiou
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maltezos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C000604389:UCP2 protein, human; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2