Obesity Susceptibility Loci in Qataris, a Highly Consanguineous Arabian Population

Authors

• Sara Tomei, Department of Genetic Medicine, Laboratory of Genetic Medicine & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Al Luqta Street, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha, Qatar, PO 24144. stomei@sidra.org.
• Ravinder Mamtani, Global and Public Health Department, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar. ram2026@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
• Rashid Al Ali, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Research Branch, Al Nasr Tower, Al Corniche Street, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar, PO 26999. ralali@sidra.org.
• Naser Elkum, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Research Branch, Al Nasr Tower, Al Corniche Street, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar, PO 26999. nelkum@sidra.org.
• Maryam Abdulmalik, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar. mabdulmalik@phcc.gov.qa.
• Awatef Ismail, Global and Public Health Department, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar. achouchn@yahoo.fr.
• Sohaila Cheema, Global and Public Health Department, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar. soc2005@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
• Hekmat A. Rouh, Global and Public Health Department, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar. har2005@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
• Idil I. Aigha, Department of Genetic Medicine, Laboratory of Genetic Medicine & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Al Luqta Street, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha, Qatar, PO 24144. idilucha@gmail.com.
• Fatima Hani, Department of Genetic Medicine, Laboratory of Genetic Medicine & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Al Luqta Street, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha, Qatar, PO 24144. fatma-m-hani@hotmail.com.
• Sura Al-Samraye, Global and Public Health Department, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar. sha2038@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
• Mona Taher Aseel, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar. MASEEL@phcc.gov.qa.
• Nada El Emadi, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar. nemadi@phcc.gov.qa.
• Azza Al Mujalli, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar. aasaad@phcc.gov.qa.
• Ahmed Abdelkerim, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar. akarim@phcc.gov.qa.
• Siddik Youssif, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar. sosman@phcc.gov.qa.
• Andrea Worschech, Department of Genetic Medicine, Laboratory of Genetic Medicine & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Al Luqta Street, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha, Qatar, PO 24144. anw2028@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
• Emad El Sebakhy, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Research Branch, Al Nasr Tower, Al Corniche Street, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar, PO 26999. eelsebakhy@sidra.org.
• Ramzi Temanni, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Research Branch, Al Nasr Tower, Al Corniche Street, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar, PO 26999. rtemanni@sidra.org.
• Vineesh Khanna, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Research Branch, Al Nasr Tower, Al Corniche Street, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar, PO 26999. vkhanna@sidra.org.
• Ena Wang, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Research Branch, Al Nasr Tower, Al Corniche Street, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar, PO 26999. ewang@sidra.org.
• Dhanya Kizhakayil, Department of Genetic Medicine, Laboratory of Genetic Medicine & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Al Luqta Street, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha, Qatar, PO 24144. dhanyabiotech@gmail.com.
• Al-Anood Al-Thani, Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar. aalthani@sch.gov.qa.Follow
• Mohammed Al-Thani, Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar. malthani@sch.gov.qa.Follow
• Albert Lowenfels, New York Medical College, New York, USA. Lowenfels@nymc.edu.Follow
• Francesco M. Marincola, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Research Branch, Al Nasr Tower, Al Corniche Street, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar, PO 26999. fmarincola@sidra.org.
• Javaid Sheikh, Dean's Office, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar. jis2011@med.cornell.edu.
• Lotfi Chouchane, Department of Genetic Medicine, Laboratory of Genetic Medicine & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Al Luqta Street, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha, Qatar, PO 24144. loc2008@qatar-med.cornell.edu.

Author Type(s)

Faculty

DOI

10.1186/s12967-015-0459-3

Journal Title

Journal of Translational Medicine

First Page

119

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-13-2015

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: In Qataris, a population characterized by a small size and a high rate of consanguinity, between two-thirds to three-quarters of adults are overweight or obese. We investigated the relevance of 23 obesity-related loci in the Qatari population. METHODS: Eight-hundred-four individuals assessed to be third generation Qataris were included in the study and assigned to 3 groups according to their body mass index (BMI): 190 lean (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)); 131 overweight (25 kg/m(2) ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m(2)) and 483 obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)). Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood and genotyped by TaqMan. RESULTS: Two loci significantly associated with obesity in Qataris: the TFAP2B variation (rs987237) (A allele versus G allele: chi-square = 10.3; P = 0.0013) and GNPDA2 variation (rs10938397) (A allele versus G allele: chi-square = 6.15; P = 0.013). The TFAP2B GG genotype negatively associated with obesity (OR = 0.21; P = 0.0031). Conversely, the GNDPA2 GG homozygous genotype associated with higher risk of obesity in subjects of age < 32 years (P = 0.0358). CONCLUSION: We showed a different genetic profile associated with obesity in the Qatari population compared to Western populations. Studying the genetic background of Qataris is of primary importance as the etiology of a given disease might be population-specific.

Recommended Citation

Tomei, S., Mamtani, R., Al Ali, R., Elkum, N., Abdulmalik, M., Ismail, A., Cheema, S., Rouh, H. A., Aigha, I. I., Hani, F., Al-Samraye, S., Taher Aseel, M., El Emadi, N., Al Mujalli, A., Abdelkerim, A., Youssif, S., Worschech, A., El Sebakhy, E., Temanni, R., Khanna, V., Wang, E., Kizhakayil, D., Al-Thani, A., Al-Thani, M., Lowenfels, A., Marincola, F. M., Sheikh, J., & Chouchane, L. (2015). Obesity Susceptibility Loci in Qataris, a Highly Consanguineous Arabian Population. Journal of Translational Medicine, 13, 119. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-015-0459-3