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Morphological and biochemical features of obesity are associated with mineralization genes’ polymorphisms

International Journal of Obesity volume 34, pages 1308–1318 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) was recently extensively studied as a candidate gene for obesity phenotypes. As the human homologue of the mouse progressive ankylosis (ANKH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) are known functional partners of ENPP1 in bone mineralization, we hypothesized that these genes may also be jointly involved in determining obesity features.

Aim:

To examine the effects of the three genes, possible gene–sex and gene–gene interactions on variability of four obesity phenotypes: the body mass index (BMI), the waist–hip ratio (WHR), the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and leptin.

Subjects and methods:

In all, 962 healthy individuals from 230 families were genotyped for 45 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The association analysis was performed using two family based association tests (family based association test and pedigree disequilibrium test). The combined P-values of the two tests were estimated by Monte-Carlo simulations. Relative magnitude of the genetic and familial effects, gene–sex and gene–gene interactions were assessed using variance component models.

Results:

Associations were observed between ENPP1 polymorphisms and BMI (P=0.0037) and leptin (P=0.0068). ALPL markers were associated with WHR (P=0.0026) and EGFR (P=0.0001). The ANKH gene was associated with all four studied obesity-related traits (P<0.0184), and its effects were modulated by sex. Gene–gene interactions were not detected.

Conclusion:

The observed pattern of association signals indicates that ANKH may have a generalized effect on adipose tissue physiology, whereas ENPP1 and ALPL affect distinct obesity features. The joint analysis of related genes and integration of the results obtained by different methods used in this research should benefit other studies of similar design.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported jointly by grant #3-4101 from Israel Ministry of Health Chief Scientist (to GL) and by Dr. Herman Shouder fund from the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel University (to ZC and IM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Human Population Biology Research Unit, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    M Korostishevsky, I Malkin, S Ermakov, O Yarenchuk & G Livshits

  2. Department of Orthopedics, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Z Cohen

  3. Yoran Institute for Human Genome Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    G Livshits

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  1. M Korostishevsky
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  2. Z Cohen
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Correspondence to G Livshits.

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Korostishevsky, M., Cohen, Z., Malkin, I. et al. Morphological and biochemical features of obesity are associated with mineralization genes’ polymorphisms. Int J Obes 34, 1308–1318 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.53

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