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Variation in the gene for human peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) does not play a major role in the development of morbid obesity

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 647–651 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent of variation in the gene for peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in patients with morbid obesity.

SUBJECTS: Two hundred morbidly obese patients who underwent gastric banding surgery and 192 healthy blood donors. Diabetics were excluded.

EXPERIMENTAL: The frequency of the P115Q and P12A variants in the PPARγ gene was determined. Single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis was performed on all exons, exon/intron boundaries and part of the promoter of the PPARγ gene on a sub-group of 67 morbid obese patients.

RESULTS: None of the morbid patients or the blood donors were carriers of the P115Q mutation. The frequency of the P12A polymorphism did not differ significantly between morbid obese patients and controls and there was no statistically significant association between P12A and BMI. Male blood donors who were A12A homozygotes had statistically significant higher serum leptin concentrations (P=0.001). Mutation screening revealed that one patient had a T →G transversion at −208 in the promoter of PPARγ-2, two had silent mutations, one a T→C transition in the third base of codon 144 and the other a C→T transition in codon 297. The fourth patient had a CGC→TGC transition in codon 316 resulting in the replacement of an arginine with a cysteine. This mutation was not found in any other morbidly obese patient.

CONCLUSION: Variation in the PPARγ gene is unlikely to play a major role in the development of morbid obesity.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Wittkopf of the Blood Transfusion Centre, Universitätskrankenhaus Eppendorf, Hamburg for provision of the control blood samples and Dr Ristow for kindly providing the mutant clone of P115Q.

This work was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to DE (Ev 29/2-1) and AM (Ma 1101/4-1) and by Graduiertenkolleg 336 (GRK 336).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Klinik, Universitätskrankenhaus Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg, 20251, Germany

    D Evans, WA Mann, J de Heer, U Michel, D Wendt & U Beisiegel

  2. Klinik für Allgemeinchirurgie, Evangelisches und Johanniter Klinikum, Kreuzstrasse 28, Dinslaken, 46535, Germany

    B Kortner & A Wolf

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  1. D Evans
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Correspondence to D Evans.

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Evans, D., Mann, W., de Heer, J. et al. Variation in the gene for human peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) does not play a major role in the development of morbid obesity. Int J Obes 24, 647–651 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801214

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