The association of rs9939609 variant of the fat mass and obesity-associated gene with BMI in children

Abstract

A previous study has shown that a common T/A single nucleotide polymorphism (rs9939609) in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene is associated with higher body mass index and adiposity. Objective: The aim of our study was the investigation whether the polymorphism T/A of the FTO gene may influence obesity in children. Materials and methods: We examined group of 161 children: 136 with obesity aged 12-18 years old with SDS of BMI.>=2.0 and 25 non-obese children 12-18 years with SDS of BMI <1.0. Polymorphism identification was performed in total genomic DNA using PCR-RFLP method The anthropometric measurements included: BMI, z-score BMI, waist and hip circumference, WHR, sum of the thickness of 3 skinfolds, % FAT-BIA , % LBM-BIA. Results: We found significant associations between TT vs AA with BMI and z-score for BMI (p<0,05, 149,29 vs 160,05, 28,03 vs 30,38, 3,28 vs 4,09 respectively). The waist, hip circumference, sum of the thickness of 3 skin folds %FAT-BIA, %LBM-BIA, and WHR did not differ between children with gene polymorphism and wild homozygous. Conclusion: The polymorphism (rs9939609) in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene is associated with BMI in children.