title: VDR TaqI is associated with obesity in the Greek population.
abstract: The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically during the last thirty years in western countries with severe complications for health and economy. Obesity is the outcome of the strong interplay between genetic and environmental factors and is therefore widely expected that the discovery of the many genetic factors underlying the heritable risk of obesity will contribute critically to our basic knowledge of the disease etiopathogenesis and the identification of new targets for therapeutic intervention. The aim of the present study was to assess the genetic contribution of known polymorphisms in two genes that are linked to the pathogenetic mechanism of obesity. Analysis of vitamin D receptor (VDR) TaqI (rs731236; T/C) and fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) (rs9939609; A/T) [corrected] polymorphisms in 82 obesity subjects and 102 controls showed significant association for VDR TaqI 'T' allele and obesity (OR: 2.07; 1.123-3.816; P=0.019), contributing to an elevated BMI of 3kg/m(2) per risk allele. No association was observed for the FTO polymorphism. These results further support a role for VDR as risk factor for obesity and suggest its further validation in larger independent populations as well as highlight a target for functional analysis towards therapeutic intervention in obese individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece. iovasilopoulos@bio.uth.gr
authors.forename: Yiannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vasilopoulos
authors.forename: Theologia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sarafidou
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotsa
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papadimitriou
authors.forename: Yiannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goutzelas
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stamatis
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bagiatis
authors.forename: Xanthi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tsekmekidou
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Yovos
authors.forename: Zissis
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mamuris
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015995:Prevalence; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; C526492:FTO protein, human; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes