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G-protein β3 subunit gene splice variant in obesity and overweight

International Journal of Obesity volume 25, pages 777–780 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the C825T polymorphism of the G-protein β3 subunit gene (GNB3) is associated with overweight and obesity. This polymorphism leads to a splice variant (Gβ3-s) with higher activity and very strong association with essential hypertension.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional case-control study.

SUBJECTS: The sets of affected and control British/European Caucasian subjects used were: (i) an obesity clinic group most of whom had ‘morbid obesity’ (mean body mass index (BMI) for group=43±8 kg/m2) and non-obese controls (BMI≤30); (ii) a group of overweight/obese healthy normotensive community volunteers (BMI>25; mean 29±5) and controls (BMI≤25; mean 23±1); (iii) a group of overweight/obese hypertensive patients (BMI>25; mean 30±4) and lean hypertensive controls (BMI≤25; mean=23±2).

MEASUREMENTS: BMI, blood pressure, serum lipids, alleles of GNB3 polymorphism.

RESULTS: Compared with control, frequency of the T allele in obese subjects was higher by 12% in (i), 17% in (ii) and 28% in (iii), but the differences were not statistically significant. Slight tracking of the T allele with elevation in BMI was, however, observed, in the obesity clinic group (P=0.018).

CONCLUSION: The C825T splice variant of GNB3 makes little if any contribution to obesity in the groups we tested.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. We thank Judith O'Neill for help in collection of patient samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Institute for Biomedical Research, Basic & Clinical Genomics Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    AV Benjafield, RCY Lin & BJ Morris

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Human Nutrition Unit, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    B Dalziel, AK Gosby & ID Caterson

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  1. AV Benjafield
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  2. RCY Lin
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  3. B Dalziel
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  4. AK Gosby
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  5. ID Caterson
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  6. BJ Morris
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Correspondence to BJ Morris.

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Benjafield, A., Lin, R., Dalziel, B. et al. G-protein β3 subunit gene splice variant in obesity and overweight. Int J Obes 25, 777–780 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801617

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