Melanocortin-4 receptor rs17782313 polymorphisms are associated with serum triglycerides in older Chinese women.

Background And Objectives: MC4R (melanocortin-4 receptor) gene polymorphisms have been associated with serum triglycerides (TG) in Caucasians and Japanese, but no reports are available Chinese. The purpose of this study was to find whether there was an association of rs17782313 polymorphisms at the MC4R gene with serum TG in elderly Chinese.

Methods And Study Design: 2,012 over 40 years participated in a cross-sectional study in which their body mass index (BMI), TG, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and MC4R rs17782313 polymorphisms were determined.

Results: For women, carriers of the T/T genotype had significantly lower serum TG than those with C/C genotype (p=0.006). Carriers of the C/C genotype of this polymorphisms exhibited significantly lower fasting HDL-C levels compared with T/T and T/C genotypes (p=0.025), and increased glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (p=0.043), but no change in blood pressure. Higher serum TG in carriers of the C/C genotype of MC4R gene remained stable after adjustment for age, smoking, drinking, BMI, waist circumference (WC) and three or more components of the metabolic syndrome (MS) by multivariable linear regression (p=0.01) in women. The carriers of the C/C genotype of MC4R gene showed significantly greater odds ratio for TG than T/C and T/T genotypes, even when adjusted for age, smoking, drinking, BMI and WC in women.

Conclusions: The rs17782313 C/C genotype is associated with higher TG levels in older Chinese women.