Circadian Gene Variants: Effects in Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women.

Obesity and overweight are common and complex conditions influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. Several genetic variants located in the genes involved in clock systems and fat taste perception can affect metabolic health. In particular, the polymorphisms in and genes were reported to be significantly related to cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, sleep reduction, and evening preference. Moreover, genetic variants in the gene have been shown to be involved in lipid metabolism, regulation of fat intake, and body weight regulation. The aim of this study is to evaluate, for the first time, the association between variants in some candidate genes (namely, rs7950226 (>), rs1801260 (>), rs4864548 (>), rs3736544 (>), rs1984112 (>), rs1761667 (>)) and overweight/obesity (OB) in pregnant women. A total of 163 normal-weight (NW) and 128 OB participants were included. A significant correlation was observed between -allele in rs4864548 and an increased risk of obesity (OR: 1.97; 95% CI 1.22-3.10, = 0.005). In addition, we found that subjects carrying the haplotype of rs1801260-, rs4864548-, and rs3736544- are likely to be overweight or obese (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.03-2.09, = 0.030), compared with those with other haplotypes. Moreover, a significant relation was observed between third-trimester lipid parameters and genetic variants-namely, rs1984112, rs1761667, rs7950226, and rs1801260. A multivariate logistic regression model revealed that rs4864548 -allele carriage was a strong risk factor for obesity (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.07-3.93, = 0.029); on the other hand, greater adherence to Mediterranean diet (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.98, = 0.038) and higher HDL levels (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99, = 0.021) were related to a reduced risk of obesity. Interestingly, an association between maternal rs4864548 and neonatal birthweight was detected ( = 0.025). These data suggest a potential role of the polymorphisms in clock systems and in fat taste perception in both susceptibility to overweight/obesity and influencing the related metabolic traits in pregnant women.