Horm Metab Res 2006; 38(5): 341-345
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-925400
Original Clinical
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Preliminary Evidence of FABP2 A54T Polymorphism Associated with Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity in Women from a German Cohort

E.  Fisher 1 , Y.  Li 2 , B.  Burwinkel 3 , V.  Kühr 4 , K.  Hoffmann 1 , M.  Möhlig 5 , J.  Spranger 5 , A.  Pfeiffer 5 , H.  Boeing 1 , J.  Schrezenmeir 6 , F.  Döring 2
  • 1 Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
  • 2 Research Group Molecular Nutrition, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
  • 3 Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
  • 4 Institute of Plant Breeding, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
  • 5 Department of Clinical Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
  • 6 Institute for Physiology und Biochemistry of Nutrition, Federal Research Centre for Nutrition and Food, Kiel, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received 31 August 2005

Accepted after revision 14 December 2005

Publication Date:
23 May 2006 (online)

Abstract

The T54 variant of the FABP2 gene has shown an association with the insulin resistance syndrome in some, but not all, studies. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the association between FABP2 A54T genotype and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is confounded by body mass index (BMI) and is different between the two genders. 192 incident cases of T2DM and 384 sex- and age-matched controls were taken from the EPIC-Potsdam study cohort. Logistic regression analyses revealed that BMI was a strong confounder for diabetes risk association among women. When adjusted for BMI, the homozygous T54 variant was significantly associated with reduced risk of T2DM in women (OR = 0.24, 95 %CI: 0.07 - 0.82), but not in men in the co-dominant inheritance model. Accordingly, HbA1c values were significantly lower in women carrying two T54 alleles with BMI regarded as covariate. While accounting for potentially confounding effects, linear trends of increased BMI and leptin values were observed in women according to the presence of T54 alleles. The interaction term (p = 0.04) of continuous BMI and T54-coding genotypes suggested that the T54 variant is an effect-modifier for BMI in females. We conclude that the T54 allele of FABP2 A54T is associated both with higher BMI and reduced risk of T2DM in women from the German EPIC-Potsdam study.

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Dr. phil. nat. Eva Fisher

Department of Epidemiology

German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke · Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114 - 116 · 14558 Nuthetal · Germany

Fax: +49 (33200) 88 721 ·

Email: fisher@mail.dife.de