Relationship of short tandem repeats flanking leptin-melanocortin pathway genes with anthropometric profile and leptinemia in Brazilian individuals.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship of short tandem repeats (STR) near genes involved in the leptin-melanocortin pathway with body mass index (BMI) and leptinemia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Anthropometric variables and leptinemia were measured in 100 obese and 110 nonobese individuals. D1S200, D2S1788, DS11912, and D18S858 loci were analyzed by PCR and high-resolution electrophoresis. RESULTS Overall STR allele frequencies were similar between the obese and non-obese group (p > 0.05). Individual alleles D1S200 (17), D11S912 (43), D18S858 (11/12) were associated with obesity (p < 0.05). Individuals carrying these alleles showed higher BMI than non-carriers (p < 0.05). Moreover, a relationship between D18S858 11/12 alleles and increased waist circumference was found (p = 0.040). On the other hand, leptinemia was not influenced by the studied STRs (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS D1S200, D11S912, and D18S858 loci are associated with increased BMI and risk for obesity in this sample.