FTO Gene and Childhood Obesity
Author Information
Author(s): Grant Struan F. A., Li Mingyao, Bradfield Jonathan P., Kim Cecilia E., Annaiah Kiran, Santa Erin, Glessner Joseph T., Casalunovo Tracy, Frackelton Edward C., Otieno F. George, Shaner Julie L., Smith Ryan M., Imielinski Marcin, Eckert Andrew W., Chiavacci Rosetta M., Berkowitz Robert I., Hakonarson Hakon
Primary Institution: Center for Applied Genomics, Abramson Research Center, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Hypothesis
Does variation in the FTO gene contribute to obesity in children of Caucasian and African ancestry?
Conclusion
The study confirms that variants in the FTO gene are associated with obesity in children, similar to findings in adults.
Supporting Evidence
- Variants in the FTO gene were shown to confer risk for obesity in both Caucasian and African American children.
- The odds ratio for the association of SNPs rs8050136 and rs3751812 with obesity was 1.27 in Caucasians.
- Significant association was replicated in an African American cohort with an odds ratio of 1.31 for rs3751812.
Takeaway
This study found that certain genes can make kids more likely to be overweight, just like they do for adults.
Methodology
The study used genome-wide association analysis to examine SNPs in a cohort of obese and non-obese children.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in self-reported ethnicity and the exclusion of outliers may affect results.
Limitations
The study is limited to specific ethnic groups and may not generalize to other populations.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 418 Caucasian obese children, 2,270 Caucasian controls, 578 African American obese children, and 1,424 African American controls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0022
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.08–1.47
Statistical Significance
p=0.0022
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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