title: Association between a frequent variant of the FTO gene and anthropometric phenotypes in Brazilian children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our goal was to analyze the association of the fat mass and obesity- associated (FTO) gene rs9939609 variant (T/A) with the anthropometric and dietary intake phenotypes related to obesity in Brazilian children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the association of this single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with phenotypes related to the accumulation of body mass in a cohort of 348 children followed from the time of birth until 8 years old and then replicated the main findings in an independent schoolchildren sample (n = 615).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the age of 4, we observed a significant association between the A/A genotype and a higher mean BMI Z-score (P = 0.036). At the age of 8, the A/A individuals still presented with a higher BMI Z-score (P = 0.011) and with marginal differences in the volume of subcutaneous fat (P = 0.048). We replicated these findings in the schoolchildren sample, which showed that those with at least one copy of the A allele presented with a higher BMI Z-score (P = 0.029) and volume of subcutaneous fat (P = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that this FTO variant is associated with increased body mass and subcutaneous fat in Brazilian children beginning at the age of 4.
authors.forename: Carmela Farias
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Marília Remuzzi
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zandoná
authors.forename: Márcia Regina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Vitolo
authors.forename: Paula Dal Bó
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Campagnolo
authors.forename: Liane Nanci
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Rotta
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Vanessa Suñé
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Mattevi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000033:anatomy & histology
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D000071516:Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO; C526492:FTO protein, human