Variants in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene are associated with obesity and C-reactive protein levels in Chinese Han populations.

Purpose: Various genetic variants of the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) have been linked to obesity in populations of Europeans. Low-grade inflammation is a key feature of obesity, characterized by elevated plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). In the present study, we have investigated whether the FTO-risk variant is associated with obesity and CRP in the Chinese population. Methods: 1799 individuals aged 50-70 years (896 men and 903 women), including both obese (560 cases) and control individuals, (1200 cases) were recruited. The FTO rs9939609 polymorphism was tested using sequences retrieval. Waist circumference, body fat, hs-CRP, blood total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C were also measured. Results: The FTO rs9939609 polymorphism per-A allele was associated with an increased odds ratio for obesity of 1.42 (95%CI 1.23-1.64). The genotypic odds ratio for obesity was 1.92 (95%CI 1.43-2.57) for the AA genotype, 1.71 (95%CI 1.35-2.16) for the AT genotype. The association between FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and CRP levels was r=0.78. Conclusion: Our data support the hypothesis that FTO rs9939609 polymorphism is strongly associated with obesity and CRP levels in the Chinese population as reported in the European population.