title: Genomic variants at 20p11 associated with body fat mass in the European population.
abstract: Body fat mass (BFM) is more homogeneous and accurate than body total mass in measuring obesity but has rarely been studied. Aiming to uncover the genetic basis of fat-induced obesity, a genome-wide association meta-analysis of BFM, after adjustment by body lean mass, was performed in the European population.
  
  
  
  Three samples of European ancestry were included in the meta-analysis: the Framingham Heart Study (N = 6,004), the Kansas City osteoporosis study (N = 2,207), and the Omaha osteoporosis study (N = 968).
  
  
  
  At the genome-wide significance level (α = 5.0×10-8), a cluster of 10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at chromosomal region 20p11 that were associated with BFM (lead SNP rs2069126, P = 1.82×10-9, closest gene SLC24A3) was identified in 9,179 subjects. One of the top SNPs, rs6046308 (P = 3.74×10-8), was found to be nominally significant for body fat percentage in another independent study (P = 0.03, N = 75,888) and was reported to transregulate the expression of the MPZ gene at 1q23.3 (unadjusted P = 9.78×10-6, N = 1,490). Differential gene expression analysis demonstrated that SLC24A3 and CFAP61 at the identified locus were differentially expressed in tissues of people with versus without obesity (P = 3.40×10-5and 8.72×10-4, N = 126 and 70), implying their potential role in fat development.
  
  
  
  These results may provide new insights into the biological mechanism that underlies fat-induced obesity pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Hai-Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen-Zhu
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei-Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: An-Ping
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Xin-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Yong-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Hong-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.|Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002890:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20; D005260:Female; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*