Original Article
International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 663–668; doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803766; published online 11 December 2007
A new variation in the promoter region, the -604 C>T, and the Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene are associated with protection to insulin resistance
S Zavarella1, A Petrone1, S Zampetti1, M Gueorguiev2, M Spoletini1, C A Mein2, G Leto1, M Korbonits2 and R Buzzetti1
- 1Endocrinology, Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Polo Pontino, Rome, Italy
- 2Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Bart's and the London Medical School, London, UK
Correspondence: Professor R Buzzetti, Endocrinology, Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Viale del Policlinico 155, Rome 00161, Italy. E-mail: raffaella.buzzetti@uniroma1.it
Received 31 January 2007; Revised 13 September 2007; Accepted 14 October 2007; Published online 11 December 2007.
Abstract
Objective:
Previous studies suggested that polymorphisms in the coding region of the preproghrelin were involved in the etiology of obesity and might modulate glucose-induced insulin secretion. We evaluated the association of a new variation, -604C>T, in the promoter region of the ghrelin gene, of Leu72Met (247C>A) and of Gln90Leu (265A>T), all haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), with measures of insulin sensitivity in 1420 adult individuals.
Research methods:
The three SNPs were genotyped using ABI PRISM 7900 HT Sequence Detection System. We used multiple linear regression analysis for quantitative traits and THESIAS software for haplotype analysis.
Results:
We observed a protective effect exerted by Met72 variant of Leu72Met SNP on insulin resistance parameters; a significant decreasing trend from Leu/Leu to Leu/Met and to Met/Met homozygous subjects in triglycerides, fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR index (P=0.02, 0.01 and 0.003, respectively), and, consistently, an increase in ghrelin levels (P=0.003) was found. A significant decrease from CC to TC and to TT genotypes in insulin levels and HOMA-IR index was also detected (P=0.00l for both), but only in subjects homozygous for Leu72, where the protective effect of Met72 was not present. The haplotype analysis results supported the data obtained by the evaluation of each single SNP, showing the highest value of insulin levels and HOMA-IR index in the -604c247c haplotype intermediate value in -604T247C and lowest value in -604C247A.
Conclusion:
Our observations suggest a protective role of the Met72 variant and of -604 T allele in modulating insulin resistance. These SNPs or an unknown functional variant in linkage disequilibrium could increase ghrelin levels and probably insulin sensitivity.
Keywords:
SNPs, insulin sensitivity, promoter region, linkage disequilibrium, haplotype
