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Nutrigenomics and molecular nutrition

The tumor necrosis factor-α gene -238 G>A polymorphism, dietary fat intake, obesity risk and serum lipid concentrations in black and white South African women

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 66, pages 1295–1302 (2012)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:

This study explored interactions between dietary fat intake and the tumor necrosis factor-α gene (TNFA) -238 G>A polymorphism (rs361525) on adiposity and serum lipid concentrations in apparently healthy premenopausal black and white South African (SA) women.

SUBJECTS/METHODS:

Normal-weight (N=107) and obese (N=120) black, and normal-weight (N=89) and obese (N=62) white SA women underwent measurements of body composition, fasting lipids and dietary intake, and were genotyped for the -238 G>A polymorphism.

RESULTS:

Black women had a higher -238 GA genotype frequency than white women (P<0.001), but there were no differences between body mass index groups. Black women with the -238 A allele had a greater body fat % than those with the GG genotype (P<0.001). Further, in black women, with increasing polyunsaturated:saturated fat ratio and omega-6 (n-6):omega-3 (n-3) ratio, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations decreased, and total cholesterol (T-C):HDL-C ratio increased in those with the GA genotype but not the GG genotype. In addition, with increasing n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake (percentage of total energy intake, %E), T-C:HDL-C ratio decreased in those with the GA genotype, but not in those with the GG genotype. In white SA women, with increasing eicosapentaenoic acid (%E) intake, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations decreased in those with the GG genotype but not the GA genotype.

CONCLUSIONS:

The -238 G>A polymorphism was associated with body fatness in black women. Interactions between -238 G>A genotypes and dietary fat intake on serum lipids and adiposity differed depending on dietary fat intake, but those for serum lipids were not the same in black and white SA women.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the National Research Foundation of South Africa, the South African Medical Research Council, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the University of Cape Town.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Biology, UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Y T Joffe, L van der Merwe, J Evans, M Collins, E V Lambert, A September & J H Goedecke

  2. Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

    L van der Merwe

  3. South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

    L van der Merwe, M Collins & J H Goedecke

  4. Department of Statistics, University of Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

    L van der Merwe

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  1. Y T Joffe
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Correspondence to J H Goedecke.

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Competing interests

Yael Joffe is a consultant to a South African genetics company, DNAlysis Biotechnology. She is also co-author of the book ‘It’s not just your genes!’, she receives no profits or royalties from this book. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Joffe, Y., van der Merwe, L., Evans, J. et al. The tumor necrosis factor-α gene -238 G>A polymorphism, dietary fat intake, obesity risk and serum lipid concentrations in black and white South African women. Eur J Clin Nutr 66, 1295–1302 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.156

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