Evaluation of the glutamine 27 glutamic acid polymorphism in the adrenoceptor β2 surface gene on obesity and metabolic phenotypes in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND

The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs1042714 or glutamine 27 glutamic acid (Gln27Glu), in the adrenoceptor β2 surface (ADRB2) gene has previously been examined for association with obesity with inconclusive results. The objective of this study was to determine whether the ADRB2 rs1042714 SNP could influence obesity and obesity-related metabolic traits in a Taiwanese population.

METHODS

The ADRB2 rs1042714 SNP and obesity-related metabolic traits including blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting glucose, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) were examined in 967 individuals with general health examinations.

RESULTS

Our data revealed that the ADRB2 rs1042714 SNP exhibited a significant association with obesity among the subjects (P = 0.021). Furthermore, the carriers of the GG genotype had a significantly higher BMI than those with the CC genotype (26.0 ± 5.6 vs 24.3 ± 3.8 kg/m; P = 0.009) and those with the CG genotype (26.0 ± 5.6 vs 23.6 ± 3.3 kg/m; P = 0.001). We also found a nominal association with systolic blood pressure (P = 0.058) and triglyceride (P = 0.055) levels in the ADRB2 rs1042714 SNP.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicates that the ADRB2 rs1042714 SNP may contribute to the risk of obesity and predict obesity-related metabolic traits such as BMI, triglyceride, and systolic blood pressure in Taiwanese subjects.