Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine the association of the common fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene polymorphism rs9939609 with the risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in healthy young university students in Kuwait. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 201 students from Kuwait University (males = 99; females = 102). The author analyzed the association of FTO and obesity using the body mass index (BMI) as a binary categorical variable (non-obese-BMI < 25 vs. obese-BMI > 25) and the BMI as a continuous variable, using both logistic and linear regression models, respectively. Genotyping of the FTO rs9969609 was performed using the TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Genotyping Assay (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, USA) and ABI 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR system SDS software (Life Technologies, California, USA) was used for allelic discrimination. RESULTS: BMI (continuous variable) was not associated with FTO in either the adjusted dominant genetic model (p = 0.33) or the additive model (p = 0.35). Similarly, neither the adjusted dominant (p = 0.66) nor the additive model (p = 0.39) showed FTO as a significant predictor of categorical BMI. In addition, the analysis showed that FTO was not a risk factor for T2D in either the adjusted dominant (p = 0.08) or the additive model (p = 0.17). The FTO allele frequency (%) in the study population (A: 44%; T: 56%) did not significantly differ from the global allele frequency (p-value > 0.05). As for genotype frequency distribution (%) in this study, FTO (AG: 37.8%; AA: 5.5%; GG: 56.7%) was found not to be in equilibrium with the Hardy-Weinberg Equation. CONCLUSION: FTO is not a significant predictor of obesity or the future risk of T2D in healthy young adults of Kuwait. The cross-sectional genetic study design is a limitation for the detection or significant predictors of obesity or T2D among young adults in Kuwait.