Variants of uncoupling protein-2 gene and obesity: interaction with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ2

• Published in: Clinical endocrinology (Oxford) Vol. 59; no. 6; pp. 817 - 822
• Main Authors: Mancini, Francesco P., Sabatino, Lina, Colantuoni, Vittorio, Pasanisi, Fabrizio, Finelli, Carmine, Contaldo, Franco, Masulli, Maria, Riccardi, Gabriele, Vaccaro, Olga
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2003; Blackwell
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Endocrinopathies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Medical sciences; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Variant; Obesity; Uncoupling protein; Gene interaction; Nutrition disorder; Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma; Endocrinology; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0300-0664; 1365-2265
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2265.2003.01926.x

Summary objective  To analyse the association of the UCP2 gene, alone or in combination with the PPARγ2 gene, with obesity. design  Cross‐sectional, case–control study. study population  From a working population of 4500 Italian Caucasian employees of the Italian telephone company participating in a firm‐sponsored health screening programme, we selected all those with obesity [n = 122; body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2]. For each case, three nonobese age‐ and sex‐matched individuals were selected as controls from the same population (n = 374). Included in the study were also 76 severely obese (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) patients consecutively admitted to the obesity clinic of the department. Diabetic individuals were excluded. measurements  The −866G/A UCP2 and the Pro12Ala PPARγ2 polymorphisms were determined on genomic DNA of the studied individuals. Several metabolic and anthropometric measures were also obtained, like plasma glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and BMI. results  BMI, plasma glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total and HDL cholesterol were not significantly different in carriers and noncarriers of the −866G/A variant. No significant association was observed between the −866G/A UCP2 gene polymorphism and moderate or severe obesity. This was also observed when the UCP2 polymorphism was analysed in combination with the PPARγ2 polymorphisms. conclusions  The −866G/A variants of the UCP2 gene are not associated with either obesity or other features of the metabolic syndrome in the studied groups of the Italian population. This negative finding is not modified after a combined analysis of the UCP2 polymorphism and the Pro12Ala polymorphism of PPARγ2.