title: MC3R gene polymorphisms are associated with early childhood adiposity gain and infant appetite in an Asian population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polymorphic variants within human melanocortin-3 receptor gene (MC3R) gene have been associated with obesity. However, its influence on infancy and early childhood adiposity has not been reported before.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We assessed associations between genotype at polymorphic sites within MC3R with early childhood adiposity and interaction with early childhood appetitive traits.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 1090 singletons in an Asian mother-offspring cohort genotyped for MC3R and in a subgroup (n = 422) who had completed Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaires (CEBQ) at 12 months. Children were followed from birth to 48 months, and up to 10 measurements of body mass index and five measures of triceps and subscapular skin-folds were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independent of potential confounders, each additional MC3R minor allele copy was associated with greater body mass index standard deviation score [B{95% confidence interval}: 0.004 units/month {0.001,0.007}; p = 0.007], triceps [0.009 mm/month {0.001,0.02}; p = 0.021] and subscapular skin-fold [0.008 mm/month {0.002,0.01}; p = 0.011] gain velocity in the first 48 months. Each additional MC3R minor allele copy was also associated with increased odds of overweight [odds ratio {95% confidence interval}: 1.48{1.17-1.88}] and obesity [1.58{1.10-2.28}] in the first 48 months. Every additional copy of MC3R minor allele was positively associated with 'slowness-in-eating' appetitive trait [0.24{0.06,0.39}, p = 0.006]; however, the relationship between 'slowness-in-eating' with adiposity gain was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the role of MC3R genetic variants in adiposity gain during early childhood.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.|Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Aris
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tint
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teh
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Holbrook
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Quah
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.|Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: M F-F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.|Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: S-M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saw
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kwek
authors.affiliation: MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gluckman
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lek
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.|Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.|Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health System, Singapore.
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics*; D001066:Appetite / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000235:genetics*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011446:Prospective Studies; D044104:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 3 / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: C505392:MC3R protein, human; D044104:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 3
keywords: Childhood adiposity; MC3R; single nucleotide polymorphism