Polymorphisms in The adipoq gene are associated with some components of metabolic syndrome in european children

Abstract

Introduction: Adipokines may affect vascular function and mediate obesity-related vascular disorders including hypertension, diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. The effect of polymorphisms (SNPs) in The adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene on components of metabolic syndrome (MS) was investigated in European adolescents.Methods: Altogether 14 SNPs were genotyped by Illumina in The HELENA ('Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence') cross-sectional study (n=1144, 12-17 years old European children). The studied phenotypes were body mass index, waist circumference, percent of body fat, blood pressure, plasma triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and glucose levels.Results: rs822393 (frequency: 0.21), rs7649121 (frequency: 0.15) and rs17366743 (frequency: 0.02) were associated with lower plasma HDL-cholesterol in adolescents (p=0.001, p=0.00008 and p=0.001, respectively). Two SNPs (rs3821799, rs3774261) were associated to have higher risk of increased waist/hip (W/H) ratio (p=0.003, p=0.001, respectively). The average number of risk factors of MS was significantly lower (p< 0.003) in carriers of at least one minor allele of rs822396 compared with The children who were homozygous for The common allele.Conclusion: Using a candidate gene approach, significant associations could be detected between adiponectin and components of MS in adolescents. These data may highlight The role of this adipokine in MS, especially in children.