Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the relationships among the gene polymorphisms ghrelin (GHRL-rs26802), ghrelin receptor (GHSR-rs572169), leptin (LEP-rs7799039), leptin receptor (LEPR-rs1137101) and fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO-rs9939609) and obesity.
Minor homozygotes for five preproghrelin gene polymorphisms, namely, -1500C>G (rs3755777), -1062G>C (rs26311), -994C>T (rs26312) (promoter region), Leu72Met (rs696217) (exon 2), and +3056T>C (rs2075356) (intron 2), had high values of total and visceral fat areas, waist circumference, and BMI, indicating significant correlation of the polymorphisms with obesity and fat metabolism.
The preproghrelin gene codes for two gut-derived circulating peptides that have been linked to anxiety-like behaviour in rodents: ghrelin (an orexigenic, pro-obesity hormone) and obestatin.
Polymorphisms in preproghrelin and ghrelin gene could be responsible for obesity, insulin resistance and low ghrelin levels observed in some individuals.
The Leu72Met (+408C>A) polymorphic variant of the preproghrelin, the gene for the ghrelin precursor, has been linked to obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Previous studies suggested that polymorphisms in the coding region of the preproghrelin were involved in the etiology of obesity and might modulate glucose-induced insulin secretion.
Variation in the preproghrelin gene is not associated with juvenile-onset obesity, type 2 diabetes or related phenotypes among the examined Danish Caucasian subjects.