Study of association of the rs5400 polymorphic locus in the SLC2A2 (GLUT2) gene and the rs4684677 polymorphic locus in the GHRL gene with excess body weight and preference for carbohydrates in preschool and primary school-aged children

Background. Today excess body weight and obesity are considered an epidemic affecting millions of people around the world. Excess body weight in children increases the risk of development of obesity in adult age. Food preferences are formed in childhood and influenced by environmental, cultural, and genetic factors; the latter remaining unclear.

Objective. The study aimed at investigating the association of the rs5400 polymorphic locus of the SLC2A2 (GLUT2) gene and the rs4684677 polymorphic locus of the GHRL gene with excess body weight and preference for carbohydrates in preschool and primary school-aged children.

Methods. The study enrolled 92 patients aged between 3 and 11 years; 56 patients gave consent for the assessment of their food preferences. Genotyping of polymorphic loci in the SLC2A2 and GHRL genes was carried out for all patients. Results. All patients were divided into groups depending on their eating habits (the ratio of dietary carbohydrates), as well as the presence of excess body weight. The probability of consumption of excessive amounts of carbohydrates appeared to be higher for carriers of the G/A genotype in the SLC2A2 gene as compared to the G/G carriers (odds ratio: 9.3; 95 % confidence interval [1.8–47.3]; p = 0.004). No statistically significant differences in the distribution of genotypes of the GHRL gene have been found between the group with carbohydrate overconsumption and the control group (p > 0.05). Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found in the evaluation of association of the rs5400 polymorphism in the SLC2A2 gene and the rs4684677 polymorphism in the GHRL gene with excess body weight in children (p > 0.05).

Conclusion. There are genetic predictors of obesity in adult population. Thus, for example, the rs5400 polymorphism in the SLC2A2 gene and rs4684677 in the GHRL gene are the risk factors for excess body weight. Our study in a pediatric population did not reveal any association of the presence of polymorphic loci in the above-mentioned genes with obesity in children. The association of the G/A genotype of the SLC2A2 gene with excess carbohydrate consumption was revealed: the odds ratio for excess carbohydrate consumption was higher in the G/A carriers as compared to the G/G carriers: OR = 9.3; CI = [1.8–47.3]; p = 0.004. This finding is probably related to the fact that these genetic variants are not risk factors for obesity in childhood. These issues require further investigation within the framework of personalized medicine.

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