Polymorphisms in 5��-flanking regions of genes encoding adiponectin, leptin, and resistin are not associated with obesity of Polish children and adolescents

Genes encoding adipokines are important functional candidates for development of obesity. In this study we screened for polymorphism 5??-flanking regions of the adiponectin (ADIPOQ), leptin (LEP) and resistin (RETN) genes in a cohort of Polish obese children and adolescents (n = 243) and a control group of non-obese adults (n = 100). Altogether 13 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and 1 InDel (insertion/deletion polymorphism) were found. Among them five polymorphisms, localized in the LEP gene, turned out to be novel, but their distribution was insufficient for association studies. We found no consistent evidence for association between obesity and the SNPs demonstrating minor allele frequency (MAF) above 0.2 (ADIPOQ: ?11377C>G, LEP: ?2548C>T, 19A>G, RETN: ?1300G>A, ?1258C>T, ?420C>G). Comparison of polymorphisms distribution in patients and control group suggested association with ADIPOQ ?11377C>G (Pearson test P = 2.76 × 10^?11), however, we did not observe any effect of this polymorphism on BMI or relative BMI (RBMI) within obese patients (P = 0.41). We conclude that the tested SNPs are not useful markers of childhood and adolescence obesity in Polish population.     

Variants in the Adiponectin Gene and Serum Adiponectin: The Coronary Artery Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Circulating adiponectin is involved in the atherosclerotic process and has been associated with cardiovascular disease as well as obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. The adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) encodes the circulating protein adiponectin and affects its expression. Only a small proportion of all known ADIPOQ polymorphisms have been investigated in relation to circulating adiponectin concentrations. Using data from 3,355 African‐American and white men and women aged 33–45 at the year 15 examination from the Coronary Artery Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study the association between 10 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within ADIPOQ and serum adiponectin was examined using linear regression. SNPs were chosen based on a tagSNP approach. Models were stratified by self‐reported race to control for population stratification, and Bonferroni corrected for multiple comparisons. ADIPOQ SNPs rs17300539 (P < 0.0001), rs182052 (P = 0.0013), rs822393 (P = 0.0005), rs9882205 (P = 0.0001), and rs3774261 (P = 0.0001) were strongly associated with serum adiponectin concentrations in whites. In general, there was a dose‐response relationship of adjusted mean adiponectin concentrations across genotypes. Only one SNP, rs17300539 was marginally associated with serum adiponectin concentrations (P = 0.0087) in African Americans. Significant interactions were found between waist and rs182052 (P = 0.0029) and between rs9882505 and smoking (P = 0.001) in whites. Many ADIPOQ SNPs have not yet been examined, and additional studies are needed to determine whether these may be functional variants.     

Genome‐wide Linkage and Association Analyses to Identify Genes Influencing Adiponectin Levels: The GEMS Stud

Adiponectin has a variety of metabolic effects on obesity, insulin sensitivity, and atherosclerosis. To identify genes influencing variation in plasma adiponectin levels, we performed genome‐wide linkage and association scans of adiponectin in two cohorts of subjects recruited in the Genetic Epidemiology of Metabolic Syndrome Study. The genome‐wide linkage scan was conducted in families of Turkish and southern European (TSE, n = 789) and Northern and Western European (NWE, N = 2,280) origin. A whole genome association (WGA) analysis (500K Affymetrix platform) was carried out in a set of unrelated NWE subjects consisting of approximately 1,000 subjects with dyslipidemia and 1,000 overweight subjects with normal lipids. Peak evidence for linkage occurred at chromosome 8p23 in NWE subjects (lod = 3.10) and at chromosome 3q28 near ADIPOQ, the adiponectin structural gene, in TSE subjects (lod = 1.70). In the WGA analysis, the single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) most strongly associated with adiponectin were rs3774261 and rs6773957 (P < 10^?7). These two SNPs were in high linkage disequilibrium (r² = 0.98) and located within ADIPOQ. Interestingly, our fourth strongest region of association (P < 2 × 10^?5) was to an SNP within CDH13, whose protein product is a newly identified receptor for high‐molecular‐weight species of adiponectin. Through WGA analysis, we confirmed previous studies showing SNPs within ADIPOQ to be strongly associated with variation in adiponectin levels and further observed these to have the strongest effects on adiponectin levels throughout the genome. We additionally identified a second gene (CDH13) possibly influencing variation in adiponectin levels. The impact of these SNPs on health and disease has yet to be determined.     

Association of adiponectin promoter variants with traits and clusters of metabolic syndrome in Arabs: Family-based study

Plasma levels of adiponectin are decreased in type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Our aim was to use a family-based analysis to identify the genetic variants of the adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene that are associated with obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension, among Arabs. We screened 328 Arabs in one large extended family for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of the ADIPOQ gene. Two common SNPs were detected: rs17300539 and rs266729. Evidences of association between traits related to the metabolic syndrome and the SNPs were studied by implementing quantitative genetic association analysis. Results showed that SNP rs266729 was significantly associated with body weight (p-value = 0.001), waist circumference (p-value = 0.037), BMI (p-value = 0.015) and percentage of total body fat (p-value = 0.003). Up to 4.1% of heritability of obesity traits was explained by the rs266729 locus. Further cross-sectional analysis showed that carriers of the G allele had significantly higher values of waist circumference, BMI and percentage of total body fat (p-values 0.014, 0.004 and 0.032, respectively). No association was detected between SNP rs266729 and other clusters of metabolic syndrome or their traits except for HOMA-IR and fasting plasma insulin levels, p-values 0.035 and 0.004, respectively. In contrast, both measured genotype and cross-sectional analysis failed to detect an association between the SNP rs17300539 with traits and clusters of metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, we showed family-based evidence of association of SNP rs266729 at ADIPOQ gene with traits defining obesity in Arab population. This is important for future prediction and prevention of obesity in population where obesity is in an increasing trend.     

Association of interleukin-6 polymorphisms with obesity and metabolic alterations in young Saudi population

Rising levels of obesity are a global problem that is being exported from affluent to developing nations through the gradual “westernization of lifestyle”. Population of Saudi Arabia is going through a nutrition transition where customary and traditional food is being replaced by fast food high in fat, sugar and salt. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a central player in the regulation of inflammation, haematopoiesis, immune response and host defense mechanisms. During the last decade, an accumulating amount of data suggested a pivotal role for IL-6 in metabolic processes, thus fortifying the picture of IL-6 as a multifaceted, pleiotropic cytokine. The Objective is to investigate the relationship between IL-6 (rs1554606) polymorphism and the risk of obesity in young Saudi population. Totally 204 Saudi young obese subjects were involved in this study. Genotyping of IL-6 was performed by the real-time polymerase chain reaction technology, using the Taq Man 5′-allele discrimination assay. IL-6 (rs1554606) AA versus AG (p < 0.01) and AA versus GG (p < 0.01) shows significant difference between Male and female group in genotypic as well as allelic distribution differ significantly, while AG versus GG did not differ significantly (p > 0.5). We have observed significant effects for Genotyping, LDL, CHOL, AST, ALP, BILIT, BMI at 5 % (0.05) significance level in the study population. Our results shown that IL-6 polymorphism have significantly differ in both male and females subjects. We have observed that some evidence of interactions of the IL-6 polymorphism and have shown statistical significant association with elevated BMI, Lipid profile and total bilurubin in the study subjects.     

Chromosome 9p21 rs10757278 polymorphism is associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common multifactorial disorder that involves abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. Genome-wide association studies have identified a major risk locus for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction on chromosome 9p21. Here, we examined the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 9p21 in a sample of Turkish patients with MetS and further investigated the correlation between regional SNPs, haplotypes, and MetS. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze 4 SNPs (rs10757274 A/G, rs2383207 A/G, rs10757278 A/G, rs1333049 C/G) in 291 MetS patients and 247 controls. Analysis of 4 SNPs revealed a significant difference in the genotype distribution for rs2383207, rs10757278, and rs1333049 between MetS patients and controls (p = 0.041, p = 0.005, p = 0.023, respectively) but not for rs10757274 (p = 0.211). MetS and control allelic frequencies for rs2383207, rs10757278, and rs1333049 were statistically different (p < 0.05). The rs2383207 AG variant, was identified as a MetS risk factor (p = 0.012, OR = 33.271; 95 % CI: 2.193–504.805) and the AA haplotype in block 1 and the GC, AG haplotypes in block 2 were associated with MetS (χ ² = 3.875, p = 0.049; χ ² = 9.334, p = 0.0022; χ ² = 9.134, p = 0.0025, respectively). In this study, we found that chromosome 9p21 SNP rs10757278 and related haplotypes correlate with MetS risk. This is the first report showing an association between a 9p21 variant and MetS and suggests that rs10757278 polymorphism may confer increased risk for disease.     

Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Inflammatory Markers and Adipokines in Young Obese Women

Obesity is a chronic inflammatory state characterized by altered adipokine production and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines. The study explored the effect of zinc supplementation on inflammatory markers and adipocyte hormones in young obese women. Twenty five non-obese women and forty obese women (body mass index ≥25 kg/m²) aged 19–28 years were recruited for this study. Twenty obese women of the study group took 30 mg/day of supplemental zinc as zinc gluconate for 8 weeks and 20 obese women of control group took placebo. Usual dietary zinc intake was estimated from 3-day diet records. Serum zinc and urinary zinc concentration were measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Inflammatory markers such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL)-6 and adipocyte hormones such as lepin and adiponectin were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Inflammatory markers and leptin were significantly higher, but adiponectin was significantly lower in obese women than non-obese women. Zinc supplementation increased serum zinc by 15 % and urinary zinc by 56 % (P?<?0.05). The levels of hs-CRP (P?=?0.03) and IL-6 (P?=?0.006) significantly decreased with zinc supplementation, but not in placebo group. Serum leptin and plasma adiponectin concentration did not differ with either zinc supplementation or placebo. The levels of IL-6 and leptin were inversely associated with dietary zinc intake. These results suggest that zinc may have a favorable effect on obesity-related inflammation in young adults.     

Association of four insulin resistance genes with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in the Chinese Han population

Insulin resistance plays an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between four insulin resistance genes (ADIPOQ, LEPR, RETN, and TRIB3) and both T2DM and hypertension. A total of 768 Han Chinese subjects were recruited into this study, including 188 cases who had T2DM alone, 223 cases who had hypertension alone, 181 cases with both T2DM and hypertension, and 176 control subjects with neither T2DM nor hypertension. Twenty-three tag SNPs in four insulin resistance genes were genotyped and analyzed for association with T2DM and hypertension. One intron SNP (rs13306519) in LEPR and one 3′UTR SNP (rs1063537) in ADIPOQ demonstrated a significant association with T2DM (P = 0.024 and 0.014 respectively). Another intron SNP (rs12037879) in LEPR and a promoter region SNP (rs266729) in ADIPOQ were significantly associated with hypertension (P = 0.041 and 0.042, respectively). These associations survived the permutation test (P = 0.023, 0.018, 0.026, and 0.035, respectively). These associations were still found to be significant in the additive model after adjusting for potential confounding factors including age, sex, BMI, HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels (P = 0.024, 0.016, 0.04, and 0.043, respectively). No other gene variants were found to be significantly associated with T2DM or hypertension (P > 0.05). None of the studied gene variants were found to be significantly associated with T2DM+ hypertension (P > 0.05). A significant interaction was observed between two SNPs rs13306519 in LEPR and rs266729 in ADIPOQ for T2DM (P_int = 0.012, OR_int = 2.67) and hypertension (P_int = 0.0041, OR_int = 2.23). These findings suggest that variants in ADIPOQ and LEPR are risk factors for T2DM and hypertension in the Chinese population and that variants in RETN and TRIB3 are not major risk factors for these diseases.     

Genetic association of ADIPOQ gene variants with type 2 diabetes,obesity and serum adiponectin levels in south Indian population

Objective

To investigate the genetic association of eight variants of the adiponectin gene with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity and serum adiponectin level in the south Indian population.

Methods

The study comprised of 1100 normal glucose tolerant (NGT) and 1100 type 2 diabetic, unrelated subjects randomly selected from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES), in southern India. Fasting serum adiponectin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The variants were screened by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Linkage disequilibrium was estimated from the estimates of haplotype frequencies.

Results

Of the 8 variants, four SNPs namely, + 276 G/T (rs1501299), − 4522 C/T (rs822393), − 11365 C/G (rs266729), and + 712 G/A (rs3774261) were significantly associated with T2DM in our study population. The −3971 A/G (rs822396) and − 11391 G/A (rs17300539) SNPs' association with T2DM diabetes was mediated through obesity (where the association with type 2 diabetes was lost after adjusting for BMI). There was an independent association of + 276 G/T (rs1501299) and − 3971 A/G (rs822396) SNPs with generalized obesity and + 349 A/G (rs2241767) with central obesity. Four SNPs, −3971 A/G (rs822396), + 276 G/T (rs1501299), − 4522 C/T (rs822393) and Y111H T/C (rs17366743) were significantly associated with hypoadiponectinemia. The haplotypes GCCATGAAT and AGCGTGGGT conferred lower risk of T2DM in this south Indian population.

Conclusion

The adiponectin gene variants and haplotype contribute to the genetic risk towards the development of type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypoadiponectinemia in the south Indian population.     

Influence of variants in the NPY gene on obesity and metabolic syndrome features in Spanish children

Variants in the neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene have been associated with obesity and its traits. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NPY gene with obesity, metabolic syndrome features, and inflammatory and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk biomarkers in Spanish children. We recruited 292 obese children and 242 normal-body mass index (BMI) children. Height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, clinical and metabolic markers, adipokines, and inflammatory (PCR, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α) and CVD risk biomarkers (MPO, MMP-9, sE-selectin, sVCAM, sICAM, and PAI-1) were analyzed. Seven SNPs in the NPY gene were genotyped. The results of our study indicate that anthropometric measurements, clinical and metabolic markers, adipokines (leptin and resistin), and inflammatory and CVD risk biomarkers were generally elevated in the obese group. The exceptions to this finding included cholesterol, HDL-c, and adiponectin, which were lower in the obese group, and glucose, LDL-c, and MMP-9, which did not differ between the groups. Both rs16147 and rs16131 were associated with the risk of obesity, and the latter was also associated with insulin resistance, triacylglycerols, leptin, and HDL-c. Thus, we confirm the association of rs16147 with obesity, and we demonstrate for the first time the association of rs16131 with obesity and its possible impact on the early onset of metabolic syndrome features, mainly triacylglycerols, in children.     

The roles of ADIPOQ genetic variations in cancer risk: evidence from published studies

Adiponectin produced by adipose tissue, which is involved in complex diseases related to obesity, such as cancer. Genetic variations in ADIPOQ are thought to influence the activity of adiponectin, thus relating to cancer occurrence. However, epidemiological results were inconsistent. To examine this controversy, we assessed reported studies of association between ADIPOQ polymorphisms and cancer risk. Relevant studies were selected by PUBMED, EMBASE update to January 12th, 2012. According to the acceptance and exclusion criteria, 15 studies involved three polymorphisms (rs266729, rs2241766, rs1501299) of ADIPOQ were included. Summary odds ratio (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effect or fixed-effect models based on the heterogeneity of included studies. A total of 15 case–control studies related rs266729 (5,615 cases and 6,425 controls), rs2241766 (5,318 cases and 6,118 controls) and rs1501299 (3,751 cases and 5,104 controls) were included to analyze the ADIPOQ polymorphisms and cancer risk. For rs1501299, T allele was associated with decreased cancer risk. In addition, cancer type subgroup analysis revealed T allele was associated with decreased colorectal and prostate cancer risk. Ethnicity subgroup analysis observed a decreased risk in both Asian and Caucasian descendents. As to rs2241766, a borderline decreased cancer risk was observed. This meta-analysis indicated T allele of rs1501299 was an obvious protection factor for cancer risk, and G allele of rs2241766 was a potential protection factor for cancer risk, especially in Caucasian descendents. Further studies should be performed to clarify the roles of ADIPOQ polymorphisms in the cancer risk.     

Association between type 2 diabetes mellitus-related SNP variants and obesity traits in a Saudi population

Obesity, commonly measured as body mass index (BMI), has been on a rapid rise around the world and is an underlying cause of several chronic non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In addition to the environmental factors, genetic factors may also contribute to the ongoing obesity epidemic in Saudi Arabia. This study investigated the association between variants of 36 previously established T2DM SNPs and obesity phenotypes in a population of Saudi subjects. Study subjects consisted of 975 obese (BMI: ≥30), 825 overweight (25–30) and 423 lean controls (18–25) and of these 927 had a history of T2DM. Subjects were genotyped for 36 SNPs, which have been previously proved to be T2DM linked, using the KASPar method and the means of BMI and waist circumference (WC) corresponding to each of the genotypes were compared by additive, recessive and dominant genetic models. Five and seven of 36 T2DM-related SNPs were significantly associated with the BMI and WC, respectively. Variants of SNPs rs7903146, rs1552224 and rs11642841 in the control group and rs7903146 in T2DM group showed significant association with both BMI and WC. Variant of SNP rs10440833 was significantly associated with BMI in T2DM group of both males [OR = 1.8 (1.0, 3.3); P = 0.04] and females [OR = 2.0 (1.0, 3.9); P = 0.04]. Genetic risk scores explained 19 and 14 % of WC and hip size variance in this population. Variants of a number of established T2DM related SNPs were associated with obesity phenotypes and may be significant hereditary factors in the pathogenesis of T2DM.     

Role of genetic variants in ADIPOQ in human eating behavior

The beneficial effects of adiponectin and its negative correlation with BMI are well described. Adiponectin serum levels are altered in eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating. Here, we tested the hypothesis that (1) adiponectin serum levels correlate with human eating behavior factors and (2) that genetic variants of the ADIPOQ locus influence both serum levels and eating behavior. We analyzed 11 SNPs within ADIPOQ and in the 5′ UTR and measured serum adiponectin levels in 1,036 individuals from the German Sorbs population. The German version of the three-factor eating questionnaire (FEV) was completed by 548 Sorbs. For replication purposes, we included an independent replication cohort from Germany (N = 350). In the Sorbs, we observed positive correlations of restraint with adiponectin serum levels (P = 0.001; r = 0.148) which, however, did not withstand adjustment for covariates (P = 0.083; r = 0.077). In addition, four SNPs were nominally associated with serum adiponectin levels (all P < 0.05). Of these, two variants (rs3774261; rs1501229, all P < 0.05) were also related to disinhibition. Furthermore, three variants were exclusively associated with hunger (rs2036373, P = 0.049) and disinhibition (rs822396; rs864265, all P < 0.05). However, none of these associations withstood Bonferroni corrections for multiple testing (all P > 9.3 × 10⁻⁴). In our replication cohort, we observed similar effect directions at rs1501229 for disinhibition and hunger. A meta-analysis resulted in nominal statistical significance P = 0.036 (Z score 2.086) and P = 0.017 (Z score 2.366), respectively. Given the observed relationship of the SNPs with adiponectin levels and eating behavior, our data support a potential role of adiponectin in human eating behavior. Whether the relationship with eating behavior is mediated by the effects of circulating adiponectin warrants further investigations.     

The common SNP (rs9939609) in the FTO gene modifies the association between obesity and high blood pressure in Chinese children

Previous studies have suggested that common variants in fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene are associated with body mass index (BMI) and the risk of obesity. Since obesity plays an important role in the etiology of high blood pressure (HBP), we aim to investigate the association between obesity and HBP in a population with different variants of the FTO gene. A total of 3,494 children (1,775 boys, 50.8 %) aged 6–18 years were recruited for measuring pubertal status, BMI and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The single nucleotide polymorphism rs9939609 of the FTO gene was genotyped. The blood pressure levels increased by 1.4, 1.5 and 1.8 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 0.8, 0.9 and 1.2 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure per 1-unit BMI increase in subjects carrying TT, TA and AA genotypes, respectively. After stratifying for FTO rs9939609 genotypes (TT, TA and AA), the odds ratios (95 % confidence intervals) of HBP in obese versus non-obese children were 4.26 (3.18–5.71), 5.13 (2.96–8.90) and 10.37 (1.59–67.43), respectively, with adjustment for age, gender and pubertal status. The FTO rs9939609 SNP modifies the effect of obesity on HBP in Chinese children, with obese ones carrying the AA homozygous genotype of the FTO rs9939609 having the highest risk of developing HBP.     

Plasma Level of Adrenomedullin Is Influenced by a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the Adiponectin Gene

Objective

Adrenomedullin (ADM) and adiponectin are both involved in inflammation and cardiovascular diseases. The plasma levels of these peptides are influenced by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ADM and ADIPOQ genes respectively. There is some evidence that ADM may regulate adiponectin gene expression, but whether adiponectin can regulate ADM expression is unclear, and was therefore investigated.

Methods

Plasma ADM level was measured in 476 subjects in the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study-2 (CRISPS2). We genotyped them for 2 ADIPOQ SNPs that are known to be associated with plasma adiponectin level.

Results

The minor allele frequencies of ADIPOQ SNPs rs182052 and rs12495941 were 40.6% and 42.2% respectively. Plasma ADM level was significantly associated with rs182052 after adjusting for age and sex (β = 0.104, P = 0.023) but not with rs12495941 (β = 0.071, P = 0.120). In multivariate analysis, plasma ADM level increased with the number of minor alleles of rs182052 (P = 0.013). Compared to subjects with GG genotype, subjects with AA genotype had 17.7% higher plasma ADM level (95% CI: 3.6%–33.7%). Subgroup analysis revealed that the association was significant in diabetic patients (β = 0.344, P = 0.001) but not in non-diabetic subjects.

Conclusion

Plasma ADM level is related to SNP rs182052 in the ADIPOQ gene. Our findings provide new evidence of the interplay between these two important peptides in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Knowing the genotype may help to refine the interpretation of these biomarkers.     

Adiponectin gene polymorphisms in Egyptian type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with and without diabetic nephropathy

Recently, several reports addressed the associations of adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene polymorphisms with abnormal adiponectin serum levels, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and diabetic nephropathy (DN); however, results are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the possible association of ADIPOQ gene polymorphisms with T2DM and/or DN and whether they affect serum adiponectin levels in Egyptian population. Two hundred and ninety-six T2DM patients (100 normoalbuminuric patients, 103 microalbuminuric patients, and 93 macroalbuminuric patients) and 209 controls were enrolled in the present study. Polymorphisms of +45, ?11391, and +276 of the ADIPOQ gene were detected using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism. Serum adiponectin was measured using ELISA. Our results revealed that ADIPOQ +45 TG and GG genotypes and G allele were significantly associated with T2DM, micro/macroalbuminuria, and decreased serum adiponectin level. ADIPOQ ?11391 AA genotype frequency was significantly increased in T2DM group. Moreover, GA and AA genotypes and A allele of ADIPOQ ?11391 were significantly associated with susceptibility to macroalbuminuria despite increased serum adiponectin concentrations. While, ADIPOQ +276 TT genotype and T allele were protective factors regarding the susceptibility to T2DM and micro/macroalbuminuria, and they were significantly associated with increased adiponectin levels. We observed also that the decrease of the serum Adiponectin level was accompanied by an insulin resistance, albuminuria, as well as an increase of serum creatinine. We concluded that ADIPOQ +45; ADIPOQ ?11391 gene polymorphisms are associated with T2DM and/or DN in Egyptian population. While, ADIPOQ +276 gene polymorphism is a protective factor regarding T2DM and/or DN susceptibility.     

Kalirin: a novel genetic risk factor for ischemic stroke

Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. They are complex disorders resulting from the interplay of genetic and environmental factors, and may share several susceptibility genes. Several recent studies have implicated variants of the Kalirin (KALRN) gene with susceptibility to cardiovascular and metabolic phenotypes, but no studies have yet been performed in stroke patients. KALRN is involved, among others, in the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase, in the regulation of ischemic signal transduction, and in neuronal morphogenesis, plasticity, and stability. The goal of the present study was to determine whether SNPs in the KALRN region on 3q13, which includes the Ropporin gene (ROPN1), predispose to ischemic stroke (IS) in a cohort of Portuguese patients and controls. We genotyped 34 tagging SNPs in the KALRN and ROPN1 chromosomal region on 565 IS patients and 517 unrelated controls, and performed genotype imputation for 405 markers on chromosome 3. We tested the single-marker association of these SNPs with IS. One SNP (rs4499545) in the ROPN1–KALRN intergenic region and two SNPs in KALRN (rs17286604 and rs11712619) showed significant (P < 0.05) allelic and genotypic (unadjusted and adjusted for hypertension, diabetes, and ever smoking) association with IS risk. Thirty-two imputed SNPs also showed an association at P < 0.05, and actual genotyping of three of these polymorphisms (rs7620580, rs6438833, and rs11712039) validated their association. Furthermore, rs11712039 was associated with IS (0.001 < P < 0.01) in a recent well-powered genomewide association study (Ikram et al. 2009). These studies suggest that variants in the KALRN gene region constitute risk factors for stroke and that KALRN may represent a common risk factor for vascular diseases.     

Novel SNPs in the bovine ADIPOQ and PPARGC1A genes are associated with carcass traits in Hanwoo (Korean cattle)

Adiponectin (ADIPOQ) modulates several biological processes including energy homeostasis, glucose and lipid metabolism. The bovine ADIPOQ gene was located near the QTL affecting marbling, ribeye muscle area and fat thickness on BTA1. The gene encoding peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PPARGC1A) was located within the QTL region of the traits on BTA6. Moreover, its protein product has various biological functions such as cellular energy homeostasis, including adaptive thermogenesis, adipogenesis and gluconeogenesis. Therefore, the ADIPOQ and PPARGC1A genes are a positional and functional candidate gene for carcass traits in beef cattle. The objectives of this study were to identify polymorphisms in the bovine ADIPOQ and PPARGC1A genes, to evaluate their associations with carcass traits in Hanwoo (Korean cattle) population. We identified nine SNPs in the ADIPOQ gene. Two SNPs (DQ156119: g.1436T > C and DQ156119: g.1454A > G) in the promoter region were recognized as new SNPs identified in Hanwoo. Association analysis indicated that the g.1454A > G SNP genotype was significantly associated with effects on LMA (P = 0.004) and BF (P = 0.021). The ADIPOQ haplotype was also found to have significant effect on the LMA. In the PPARGC1A gene, we identified 11 SNPs in the two unexplored regions (intron 3 and 5). Among them, seven SNPs were located in intron 3 and four SNPs were located in intron 5. Of these 11 putative novel SNPs, two SNPs (AY839822: g.292C > T and AY839823: g.1064C > T) with minor allele frequency (MAF) > 0.20 were examined for associations with carcass traits. The association analysis revealed that both SNPs in PPARGC1A gene were significantly associated with LMA (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the SNPs of bovine ADIPOQ and PPARGC1A genes may be a useful molecular marker for selection of carcass traits in Hanwoo.     

Genetic Variations in ADIPOQ Gene Are Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background

Adiponectin is reported to be related to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Genetic variants in the gene encoding adiponectin (ADIPOQ) have been reported to be associated with adiponectin level in several genome–wide linkage and association studies. However, relatively little is known about the effects of ADIPOQ gene variants on COPD susceptibility. We determined the frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ADIPOQ in a Chinese Han population and their possible association with COPD susceptibility.

Methods

We conducted a case–control study of 279 COPD patients and 367 age- and gender-distribution-matched control subjects. Seven tagging SNPs in ADIPOQ, including rs710445, rs16861205, rs822396, rs7627128, rs1501299, rs3821799 and rs1063537 were genotyped by SNaPshot. Association analysis of genotypes/alleles and haplotypes constructed from these loci with COPD was conducted under different genetic models.

Results

The alleles or genotypes of rs1501299 distributed significantly differently in COPD patients and controls (allele: P = 0.002, OR = 1.43 and 95%CI = 1.14–1.79; genotype: P = 0.008). The allele A at rs1501299 was potentially associated with an increased risk of COPD in all dominant model analysis (P = 0.009; OR: 1.54; 95%CI: 1.11–2.13), recessive model analyses (P = 0.015; OR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.11–2.75) and additive model analyses (P = 0.003; OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.29–3.47). In haplotype analysis, we observed haplotypes AAAAACT and GGACCTC had protective effects, while haplotypes AGAACTC, AGGCCTC, GGAACTC, GGACACT and GGGCCTC were significantly associated with the increased risk of COPD.

Conclusions

We conducted the first investigation of the association between the SNPs in ADIPOQ and COPD risk. Our current findings suggest that ADIPOQ may be a potential risk gene for COPD. Further studies in larger groups are warranted to confirm our results.