Genetic association study of THR beta Polymorphisms with obesity in Korean population

Abstract

The growing problem of obesity is associated with numerous medical conditions. Several studies have reported that activation of thyroid hormone receptor beta (THR beta) is involved in lipid metabolism and thermogenesis. To identify the relationship between the THR beta gene and obesity, we genotyped eighty two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene using the Affymetrix array chip in 209 overweight/obese and 155 normal subjects in Korean population. Of the eighty two polymorphisms, the seven SNPs exhibited a significant association with overweight/obesity in three alternative models (codominant, dominant, and recessive models; P < 0.05 after adjusting for age and sex) were rs826221 (+267878 T > C), rs4858604 (+186399 A > G), rs1158265 (+200152 T > C), rs1868575 (+ 206031 G > A), rs1700939 (+ 238467 T > A), rs1505301 (+241933 T > C), and rs1924768 (+126491 T > C). During haplotype analysis using HapAnalyzer software, 2 haplotypes (block 13: TTAT; block 15: CTGC) containing significant polymorphisms (rs1700939 +238467 T > A and rs4858604+ 186399 A > G) were detected to be significantly different. The results suggest that the THRP gene may be associated with overweight/obesity in Korean population.