Abstract
Background: Variants of fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) and melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4R) are related to obesity, overweight and type 2 diabetes.
Objectives: To examine the presence of FTO and MC4R variants in Greek newborns.
Subjects and methods: A total 1530 newborns of Greek origin were subjected to genetic testing for rs9939609 (FTO) and for rs17782313 (MC4R) variants using dried blood spot (DBS) analysis.
Results: Some 20.2% of newborns carried none of the tested variants. FTO homozygotes and FTO heterozygotes correspond to 18.0% and 45.9% of neonates, respectively. MC4R homozygotes and MC4R heterozygotes were identified in 6.7% and 36.3% of neonates, respectively. Of the infants, 2.2% carried both variants in homozygosity, whereas heterozygotes for both variants correspond to 16.7% of the tested neonates.
Conclusion: The results indicate high prevalence of homozygosity and heterozygosity for tested variants. Early screening via DBS may be beneficial in order to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT) for funding this project (SPINOFF-SPINOUT/4KAIN2009Γ).
Conflict of interest statement
Authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
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