Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors Modify the Association between Melanocortin 4 Receptor Gene Variant and Obesity in Chinese Children and Adolescents

PLoS One. 2017 Jan 12;12(1):e0170062. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170062. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Effects of MC4R variants in previous Chinese population studies were inconsistent. Gene-environment interactions might influence the effect of MC4R variants on obesity, which was still unclear. We performed the study to clarify the association of variants near MC4R gene with obesity-related phenotypes and gene-environment interactions in Chinese children and adolescents. Two common variants (rs12970134 and rs17782313) near MC4R were genotyped in 2179 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years in Beijing of China. Associations between the variants and obesity-related phenotypes together with gene-environment interactions were analyzed. The A-alleles of rs12970134 were nominally associated with risk of overweight/obesity (Odds Ratios (OR) = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.03-1.44, P = 0.025) and BMI (β = 0.33 kg/m2, 95%CI: 0.02-0.63, P = 0.025), respectively. The rs12970134 was also associated with HDL-C (β = -0.03mmol/L per A-allele, 95%CI: -0.05, -0.01, P = 0.013) independent of BMI. In the further analysis, we found the significant interaction of rs12970134 and physical activity/sedentary behaviors on BMI (Pinteraction = 0.043). The rs12970134 was found to be associated with BMI only in children with physical activity<1h/d and sedentary behaviors ≥2h/d (BMI: β = 1.27 kg/m2, 95%CI: 0.10-2.45, P = 0.034). The association was not detected in their counterparts with physical activity≥1h/d or sedentary behaviors <2h/d. We identified the effect of MC4R rs12970134 on overweight/obesity and BMI, and we also found physical activity and sedentary behaviors modified the association between the rs12970134 and BMI in Chinese children and adolescents.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Alleles
  • Asian People / genetics*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Child
  • China
  • Cholesterol, HDL / blood
  • Exercise*
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency
  • Gene-Environment Interaction
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Obesity / genetics*
  • Obesity / pathology
  • Odds Ratio
  • Phenotype
  • Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4 / genetics*
  • Sedentary Behavior*

Substances

  • Cholesterol, HDL
  • Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4

Grants and funding

The study was supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China 81573170 (http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/).