Polimorfismos de genes del sistema leptina-melanocortina asociados con obesidad en población adulta de Barranquilla

Introduction: Obesity is considered a serious public health problem. Efforts have been directed to search for candidate genes such as LEP, LEPR and MC4R, involved in the leptin-melanocortin system. The neuroendocrine regulation of these genes on energy intake and balance influences the pathogenesis of this disease. Contradictory results regarding the association of these genes with obesity raise the need for new research. Objective: To analyze the association between obesity and LEP rs2167270, LEPR rs1137101 and MC4R rs17782313 polymorphisms and clinical and biochemical variables in obese adults from Barranquilla, Colombia. Materials and methods: The study compromised 111 obese adults and 155 non-obese individuals were used as controls. The polymorphisms were determined by real-time PCR. In addition, anthropometric measures, blood pressure and biochemical tests were evaluated. Results: No statistical differences were found in allele and genotype frequencies of gene polymorphisms between groups. CC genotype of MC4R rs17782313 polymorphism was associated with increased systolic blood pressure and T allele and TT genotype with decreased HDL cholesterol in obese adults. Influence of the other polymorphisms on these variables was not evidenced. Conclusions: LEP rs2167270, LEPR rs1137101 and MC4R rs17782313 polymorphisms are not associated with obesity in the analyzed population. MC4R rs17782313 polymorphisms influence systolic blood pressure increase and HDL cholesterol decrease in obese adults.