title: SAA1 gene variants and childhood obesity in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity increases the risk for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in both adults and children. SAA is a member of apolipoprotein and plays an important role in maintaining glucose and lipid homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to assess SAA1 allelic variants with obesity in young school-age children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 520 consecutive children ages 5-15 years were recruited. Children were divided based on BMI z score into Obese (OB; BMI z score ≥1.65; n = 253) and non-obese (NOB; n = 267). Four SNPs of the human SAA1 gene (rs12218, rs4638289, rs7131332 and rs11603089) were genotyped by use of polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to NOB, circulating SAA levels were increased in OB, as were LDL-C, TG and TC concentration. Obese children showed increased frequency of rs12218 and rs4638289 polymorphism compared to control children. There were no differences between OB and NOB for the other 2 polymorphisms. Only the rs4638289 polymorphism showed significant contributions to higher SAA plasma levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SAA1 genetic polymorphism was associated with obesity in Chinese children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric, RenMin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jie Fang Road, Wuchang district, Wuhan 430060, China. xiaozhan_g@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qi-Zhu
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Ai-Ying
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Hai-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; C521404:SAA1 protein, human; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D014280:Triglycerides