Genotypic carriers of the obesity-associated FTO polymorphism exhibit different cardiometabolic profiles after an intervention

Abstract

Background: Children and adolescents with at-risk genotypes (AA/AT) of the rs9939609 polymorphism in FTO, a fat mass and obesity-associated gene, may exhibit different cardiometabolic profile responses than subjects with the TT genotype after an interdisciplinary intervention. Methods: The sample consisted of 36 school children from southern Brazil. We used DNA quantitation and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for polymorphism genotyping. We measured anthropometric parameters (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, body fat percentage and skinfold sum), biochemical parameters (glucose, lipid profile, ultra-sensitive C-reactive protein, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, insulin and adiponectin) and blood pressure. The 4-month intervention consisted of physical education classes, nutritional counseling, and postural and oral health counseling. Results: We observed no significant differences among the groups (AA, AT and TT) after the intervention. However, we observed improvements in three parameters (waist circumference, hip circumference and C-reactive protein) in the AT/AA genotype group and in two parameters (hip circumference and uric acid) in the TT genotype group. Conclusions: After an intervention program, carriers of at-risk genotypes for obesity (AA/AT) do not exhibit differences in biochemical parameters, blood pressure and anthropometric parameters compared with carriers of the TT genotype.