Uncoupling Protein-2 45-Base Pair Insertion/Deletion

Polymorphism: Is There an Association with Severe

Obesity and Weight Loss in Morbidly Obese
Subjects?
To cite this article:
Dimitrios Papazoglou, Pantelis Papathanasiou, Nikolaos Papanas, Konstantinos
Papatheodorou, Eleni Chatziangeli, Ioannis Nikitidis, Stamatia Kotsiou, and Efstratios
Maltezos. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. August 2012, 10(4): 307-311.
doi:10.1089/met.2012.0003.
Published in Volume: 10 Issue 4: July 19, 2012
Online Ahead of Print: May 8, 2012
Full Text HTML
Full Text PDF (114.5 KB)
Full Text PDF with Links (183.6 KB)
Author information
Dimitrios Papazoglou, M.D., Ph.D., Pantelis Papathanasiou, B.S., Nikolaos Papanas,
M.D., Ph.D., Konstantinos Papatheodorou, M.D., Eleni Chatziangeli, M.D., Ioannis
Nikitidis, B.S., Stamatia Kotsiou, M.D., Ph.D., and Efstratios Maltezos, M.D., Ph.D.
Outpatient Clinic of Obesity, Diabetes, and Metabolism in the Second Department of
Internal Medicine, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace,
Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Address correspondence to:
Dimitrios Papazoglou, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Patriarhou Grigoriou 97-99
68100 Alexandroupolis
Greece
E-mail: dpapazog@med.duth.gr
ABSTRACT
Background: Uncoupling proteins are attractive candidate genes for obesity and type
2 diabetes mellitus. Our aim was to investigate the potential association of the
uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) 45-bp insertion/deletion (ins/del) polymorphism with
obesity, as well as the potential effect of this polymorphism on weight loss variability
in severely obese subjects.
Methods: A total of 158 severely obese subjects (94 without and 64 with metabolic
syndrome) and 91 age and sex-matched lean controls were recruited. A subgroup of
124 obese patients participated in a 3-month weight loss program. Anthropometric
and metabolic variables were measured. Participants were genotyped for the UCP2
ins/del polymorphism.
Results: Allelic frequency differed neither between obese subjects and controls
(P=0.56), nor between obese subjects with versus without metabolic syndrome
(P=0.58). At 3 months, metabolically healthy subjects carrying the insertion allele had
significantly greater reduction in body mass index (P=0.029) and fat-free mass
(P=0.013) and a borderline significant improvement in the homeostatic model
assessment index (P=0.048).
Conclusion: There is no association of the UCP2 ins/del polymorphism with morbid
obesity in our population, but this genotype appears to be linked with a favorable
response to dietary changes in metabolically healthy obese subjects.