title: Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors Modify the Association between Melanocortin 4 Receptor Gene Variant and Obesity in Chinese Children and Adolescents.
abstract: Effects of MC4R variants in previous Chinese population studies were inconsistent. Gene-environment interactions might influence the effect of MC4R variants on obesity, which was still unclear. We performed the study to clarify the association of variants near MC4R gene with obesity-related phenotypes and gene-environment interactions in Chinese children and adolescents. Two common variants (rs12970134 and rs17782313) near MC4R were genotyped in 2179 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years in Beijing of China. Associations between the variants and obesity-related phenotypes together with gene-environment interactions were analyzed. The A-alleles of rs12970134 were nominally associated with risk of overweight/obesity (Odds Ratios (OR) = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.03-1.44, P = 0.025) and BMI (β = 0.33 kg/m2, 95%CI: 0.02-0.63, P = 0.025), respectively. The rs12970134 was also associated with HDL-C (β = -0.03mmol/L per A-allele, 95%CI: -0.05, -0.01, P = 0.013) independent of BMI. In the further analysis, we found the significant interaction of rs12970134 and physical activity/sedentary behaviors on BMI (Pinteraction = 0.043). The rs12970134 was found to be associated with BMI only in children with physical activity<1h/d and sedentary behaviors ≥2h/d (BMI: β = 1.27 kg/m2, 95%CI: 0.10-2.45, P = 0.034). The association was not detected in their counterparts with physical activity≥1h/d or sedentary behaviors <2h/d. We identified the effect of MC4R rs12970134 on overweight/obesity and BMI, and we also found physical activity and sedentary behaviors modified the association between the rs12970134 and BMI in Chinese children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jie-Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qi-Ying
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010641:Phenotype; D044105:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4 / Q000235:genetics*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D044105:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4