Background: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms have been associated with overweight people and obesity. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship of the MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism with obesity and biochemical variables in young individuals of Mexico.
Methods: A total of 316 young individuals were included in the study, 172 with normal weight (NW) and 144 with over weight/obesity. Body mass index (BMI) was classified as NW, overweight, and obesity. Also, waist circumference was measured. Moreover, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were determined. Genotyping for MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism was performed by the PCR-RFLP method.
Results: There was no difference in the distribution of the MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism between individuals with NW and overweight/obesity; neither when they were divided by overweight vs NW, nor when we contrasted obese vs NW. However, an analysis stratified by gender showed a significant protector effect of the TT genotype against obesity in males and elevated waist circumference in females. Also, overweight/obese individuals with TT genotype had less risk of high cholesterol or triglycerides than overweight/obese subjects with the other genotypes.
Conclusions: These results suggest that the MTHFR 677T polymorphism might not be a risk factor for being overweight/obesity. Rather, on the basis of our results, this variant could be a protector effect. However, further large-scale population-based studies are still necessary to clarify the role of the MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism in overweight, obesity, and lipid profile level.
Uvod: Polimorfizam genetske metilenetetrahidrofolat reduktaze (MTHFR) je povezan sa prekomernom težinom i gojaznošću. Cilj ove studije bio je da se istraži odnos MHTFR 677C>T polimorfizma sa gojaznošću i biohemijskim pro menjivim kod mladih u Meksiku.
Metode: U studiju je uključeno ukupno 316 mladih osoba, 172 sa normalnom težinom (NV) i 144 sa prekomernom težinom/gojaznih. Indeks telesne mase (BMI) je klasifikovan kao NT (normalna težina), prekomerna težina i gojaznost. Takođe, izmeren je obim struka. Štaviše, određena je i glukoza, ukupni holesterol i trigliceridi. Genotipizacija za MTHFR 677C>T polimorfizam je izvedena metodom PCR-RFLP.
Rezultati: Nije postojala razlika u distribuciji MHTFR 677C>T polimorfizma između pojedinaca sa NT i prekomernom težinom/gojaznih; ni u slučaju kada su bili podeljeni na one sa prekomernom težinom naspram NT, niti kada smo uporedili gojazne naspram onih normalne težine. Međutim, analiza stratifikovana po polu je pokazala značajan zaštitni efekat TT genotipa protiv gojaznosti kod muškaraca i povećanog obima struka kod žena. Takođe, osobe sa preteranom težinom/gojazne osobe sa TT genotipom imale su manje rizika od visokog holesterola ili triglicerida nego osobe prekomerne težine/gojazne osobe sa drugim genotipovima.
Zaključak: Ovi rezultati ukazuju na to da polimorfizam MTHFR 677C>T možda nije faktor rizika za preveliku težinu/gojaznost. Potpuno suprotno, naši rezultati pokazuju da ova varijanta može imati zaštitni efekat. Ipak, potrebne su dodatne studije širokog opsega da bi se pojasnila uloga MHTFR 677C>T polimorfizma u prekomernoj težini, gojaznosti i nivou lipidnog profila.
Keywords: 677C>T; MTHFR; obesity; overweight, biochemical variables.