Two British women studies replicated the association between the Val66Met polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( ) and BMI

• Published in: European journal of human genetics : EJHG Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 1050 - 1055
• Main Authors: YIN YAO SHUGART, LINA CHEN, LAWLOR, Debbie A, DAVEY-SMITH, George, DAY, Ian Nm, LEWIS, Sarah J, TIMPSON, Nicholas J, WEI YUAN, MOHAMMAD REZA ABDOLLAHI, RING, Sue M, EBRAHIM, Shah, GOLDING, Jean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.08.2009
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Aged; Amino Acid Substitution; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Body Weight - genetics; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - genetics; Children; Cohort Studies; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene polymorphism; General aspects. Genetic counseling; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Humans; Medical genetics; Medical sciences; Methionine - genetics; Middle Aged; Molecular and cellular biology; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - physiology; Population studies; Regression analysis; Studies; United Kingdom; Valine - genetics; Womens health; Young Adult; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Baltimore Maryland; Human; Body mass index; Association; BWHHS; Genetics; ALSPAC; Brain derived neurotrophic factor; Woman; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 1018-4813; 1476-5438
• DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2008.272

The goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between the Val66Met polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and body mass index (BMI) in two sizable and well-characterized populations of British women: the British Women's Heart and Health Study (BWHHS) (age 60-79 years) and the mothers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (age 16-44 years). We genotyped the Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) in these two populations, and conducted a linear regression analysis to test for an association between this polymorphism and BMI. Both study populations indicated an association between BMI and the Val66Met polymorphism, with individuals carrying the Met-Met genotype having a lower mean BMI than those with the Val-Met or Val-Val genotypes (in the BWHHS): mean BMI difference=-0.911 kg/m(2), 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.70 to -0.12, P=0.023; in the mothers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC): mean BMI difference=-0.57 kg/m(2), 95%CI: -1.08 to -0.054, P=0.03). In a pooled analysis of these two studies, together with one further published study that provided data in a suitable format for inclusion in our meta-analysis, we found a pooled difference of -0.76 (95% CI: -1.16, -0.036) for adult women; I(2)-test for heterogeneity=51%, P=0.13. Our study indicated an association between BDNF and BMI in two general population studies of women. The exact role of BDNF in weight regulation merits further investigation.