Interaction analysis of and genes with obesity and related metabolic disorders in an admixed Latin American population: a possible risk increases of body weight excess.

Background: Fat Mass and Obesity-related has been one of the genes consistently related to common obesity. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in have been linked with the gene.

Aim: This study was designed by testing the hypothesis that: i) common SNPs in and are associated with obesity and related disorders; ii) there is significant linkage disequilibrium between both genes.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on the Colombian Caribbean Coast. Anthropometric and biochemical variables were measured, and obesity and metabolic disorders were diagnosed. Four SNPs were genotyped: 3 at locus (rs17817449, rs8050136, rs9939609) and one at locus (rs3751723). LD between these SNPs was estimated. A logistic regression model was applied to estimate associations.

Results: A total of 792 subjects were included. and were not in LD (D'≤ 0.03; R≤ 0.03). TT genotype (rs9939609) was found to be associated with waist circumference (= 0.04; adj-= 0.01), and SNP with Body Weight Excess (BWE) (OR= 1.06, adj-= 0.03). One haplotype was associated with BWE (G-A-A-T, rs17817449-rs8050136-rs9939609-rs3751723; OR= 0.67, = 0.04). The statistical significance of these relations continued after admixture adjustment for a three-hybrid population (= 0.03).

Conclusions: was related to waist circumference, and was associated with BWE in Latin American adults. This relation remained statistically significant after an adjustment for sex, age, and genetic ancestry was performed. Despite that these genes were not in LD, findings of a haplotype involving suggest a gene-gene interaction associated with an increased risk of BWE.