Nature Publishing Group, publisher of Nature, and other science journals and reference works NATURE.COM NATURE NEWS NATUREJOBS NATUREEVENTS ABOUT NPG
Help Nature.com site index  
International Journal of Obesity
SEARCH     advanced search my account e-alerts subscribe register
Journal home
Advance online publication
Current issue
Archive
Press releases
For authors
For referees
Contact editorial office
About the journal
For librarians
Subscribe
Advertising
naturereprints
Contact NPG
Customer services
Site features
NPG Subject areas
Access material from all our publications in your subject area:
Biotechnology Biotechnology
Cancer Cancer
Chemistry Chemistry
Dentistry Dentistry
Development Development
Drug Discovery Drug Discovery
Earth Sciences Earth Sciences
Evolution & Ecology Evolution & Ecology
Genetics Genetics
Immunology Immunology
Materials Materials Science
Medical Research Medical Research
Microbiology Microbiology
Molecular Cell Biology Molecular Cell Biology
Neuroscience Neuroscience
Pharmacology Pharmacology
Physics Physics
Browse all publications
 
April 2000, Volume 24, Number 4, Pages 443-449
Table of contents    Previous  Abstract  Next   Full text  PDF
Paper
Association of Trp64Arg polymorphism of the bold beta3-adrenergic receptor gene and no association of Gln223Arg polymorphism of the leptin receptor gene in Japanese schoolchildren with obesity
K Endo1, H Yanagi1, C Hirano1, H Hamaguchi2, S Tsuchiya1 and S Tomura1

1Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

2Institute of Basic Medical Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

Correspondence to: H Yanagi, Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken 305-8575, Japan.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor (beta3-AR) gene and Gln223Arg polymorphism of the leptin receptor (Ob-R) gene are associated with obesity in Japanese schoolchildren.

DESIGN: Population study of participants from a rural town located within 50 km northeast of Tokyo based on school medical examinations.

SUBJECTS: 553 Japanese schoolchildren (291 boys and 262 girls) who were 9-15 y old with a mean age of 11.9±1.8 y.

MEASUREMENTS: DNA was extracted from whole blood and genotyped by PCR-RFLP. Height, weight and blood pressure were measured in school medical examinations. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol concentrations were measured by an autoanalyzer. Obesity index, body mass index (BMI) and LDL-cholesterol concentration were calculated by the respective formulae.

RESULTS: In Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-AR gene, the number of obese subjects with Trp/Arg or Arg/Arg genotypes was significantly higher than that of the non-obese subjects (chi2=5.79, P=0.02). The obesity index of subjects with the Arg/Arg or Arg/Trp genotype was significantly higher than that of those with the Trp/Trp genotype (8.2±18.7% vs 4.5±15.8%, P=0.04). Moreover, after adjustments for age and gender, BMI of subjects with the Trp/Arg or Arg/Arg genotype was significantly higher than that of those with the Trp/Trp genotype (19.4±3.6 kg/m2 vs 18.9±3.2 kg/m2, P=0.02). However, no significant differences were observed in the clinical characteristics among the genotype groups of the Ob-R gene.

CONCLUSIONS: Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-AR gene appears to be a genetic risk factor for obesity in Japanese children, but Gln223Arg polymorphism of the Ob-R gene does not appear to be associated with obesity.

International Journal of Obesity (2000)24, 443-449

Keywords

beta3-adrenergic receptor gene; leptin receptor gene; polymorphism; obesity; schoolchildren

Received 4 May 1999; revised 17 August 1999; accepted 4 November 1999
April 2000, Volume 24, Number 4, Pages 443-449
Table of contents    Previous  Abstract  Next   Full text  PDF
Privacy Policy © 2000 Nature Publishing Group