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Association of morbid obesity with FTO and INSIG2 allelic variants.

Chu X, Erdman R, Susek M, Gerst H, Derr K, Al-Agha M, Wood GC, Hartman C, Yeager S, Blosky MA, Krum W, Stewart WF, Carey D, Benotti P, Still CD, Gerhard GS

Weis Center for Research, Geisinger Clinic, 100 N Academy Ave, Danville, PA 17822, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the obesity genes the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) and the insulin induced gene 2 (INSIG2) are associated with class III, or morbid, obesity in patients undergoing bariatric weight loss operations. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of genotype and clinical data. SETTING: Large rural tertiary care health system. PATIENTS: A total of 707 adult patients with a body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of at least 40 undergoing open or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass operations for morbid obesity or its comorbid medical problems at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania. RESULTS: The mean BMI in the predominantly white female cohort was 51.2. Approximately 21% of patients were homozygous for the FTO obesity SNP variant, 13% were homozygous for the INSIG2 obesity SNP variant, and 3.4% were homozygous for both. Mean BMIs in the groups homozygous for each of these genes were not significantly different from nonhomozygotes. However, FTO/INSIG2 double homozygotes and homozygote/heterozygote pairs had significantly higher BMIs than the other groups. CONCLUSION: Increased BMI in morbid obesity is associated with a combination of FTO and INSIG2 SNPs.

Published 18 March 2008 in Arch Surg, 143(3): 235-40; discussion 241.
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