We demonstrated that variants within the FTO gene influence hyperandrogenemia and anthropometric parameters in women with PCOS, indicating an important role of FTO variants not only in obesity and diabetes but also in hyperandrogenism in women with PCOS.
We conducted an association study in 386 patients with PCOS (defined by the Rotterdam-criteria) using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in or in proximity to the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO), insulin-induced gene-2 (INSIG2), transcription factor 7-like 2 gene (TCF7L2) and melanocortin 4 receptor gene (MC4R).
To understand the role of the FTO gene in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) we genotyped single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1421085 (C/T) in women with PCOS (n=207) and controls (n=100) from a Central European population.
To understand the role of the FTO gene in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) we genotyped single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1421085 (C/T) in women with PCOS (n=207) and controls (n=100) from a Central European population.
The results showed that FTOrs8050136 (p = .025) and rs1588413 (p = .042) were significantly associated with PCOS susceptibility, and women with risk alleles were often found to be obese (p < .05).
The results of meta-analysis showed that the FTO gene rs9939609 A/T polymorphism was significantly different between PCOS group and control group in different gene models (For AA + AT vs. TT: OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.28-1.55, P < 0.00001.
The pooled analyses showed that rs9939609 polymorphism of FTO gene was significantly associated with risk of PCOS under A vs. T, AT vs. TT, AA vs. TT, AA vs. AT+TT and AA+AT vs. TT genetic models.
T2D variants were associated with PCOS phenotype parameters including those in THADA and WFS1 with testosterone levels, ENPP/PC1 with triglyceride levels, FTO with glucose levels and KCNJ11 with FSH levels.
None of the 12 SNPs in the six genes (KCNJ11, TCF7L2, SLC30A8, HHEX, FTO and CDKAL1) uncovered in the genome-wide association studies were associated with PCOS.
Given the overlap between PCOS and obesity, we assessed the frequencies of SNPs rs9939609 and rs8050136 in intron 1 of the FTO gene and their haplotypes in women with PCOS and healthy controls with regular cycles from Southern Brazil and investigated their relationship with metabolic traits and endocrine parameters.
Given that the phenotype of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) overlaps with obesity and type 2 diabetes, we hypothesize that the common rs9939609 variant of FTO gene is related to PCOS susceptibility.
Dietary and lifestyle data, which could have been used to explore the greater association of the FTO SNP with BMI in women with PCOS, was not available.
FTO gene rs9939609 polymorphism is significantly more prevalent among Sri Lankan PCOS subjects while the other selected SNPs of HPG axis genes and INSR gene showed no association.