Abstract
Objective:
To investigate whether pathogenic melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) mutations are a common cause of obesity in Belgium.
Design:
Cross-sectional mutation analysis.
Subjects:
In total, 95 morbidly obese adults (mean age 44.02±11.35 years; mean BMI 47.87±4.17 kg/m2) and 123 obese children and adolescents were screened for mutations in MC4R (mean age 16.56±2.58 years; BMI>95th percentile for age and sex; mean % overweight 170.86±23.63).
Measurements:
A series of anthropometric (e.g. weight, height, waist, hip), biochemical and clinical measurements were performed on all subjects. The entire coding region of MC4R was screened using DHPLC, a highly sensitive and specific method for mutation analysis. Direct sequencing was performed when the chromatogram deviated from the WT pattern.
Results:
Mutation screening of a cohort of Belgian obese adults and children did not detect any pathogenic mutations as only the previously described polymorphisms Val103Ile, Thr112Met and Ile251Leu were detected.
Conclusion:
Pathogenic mutations in MC4R are not a common cause of obesity in a Belgian population of obese adults, children and adolescents.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by a BOF-grant from the University of Antwerp to LVG and WVH and by a grant from the FWO-Flanders to LVG and WVH.
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Beckers, S., Mertens, I., Peeters, A. et al. Screening for melanocortin-4 receptor mutations in a cohort of Belgian morbidly obese adults and children. Int J Obes 30, 221–225 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803126
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803126
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