Genetic association studies of obesity in Africa: a systematic review |
| |
| Authors: | Y. Y. Yako J. B. Echouffo‐Tcheugui E. V. Balti T. E. Matsha E. Sobngwi R. T. Erasmus A. P. Kengne |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Non‐Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa;2. Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa;3. Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA;4. Department of Medicine, MedStar Health System, Baltimore, MD, USA;5. Diabetes Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Brussels Free University, Brussels, Belgium;6. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon;7. Division of Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa;8. Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;9. The George Institute for Global Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia |
| |
| Abstract: | Obesity is increasing in Africa, but the underlying genetic background largely remains unknown. We assessed existing evidence on genetic determinants of obesity among populations within Africa. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched and the bibliographies of retrieved articles were examined. Included studies had to report on the association of a genetic marker with obesity indices and the presence/occurrence of obesity/obesity trait. Data were extracted on study design and characteristics, genetic determinants and effect estimates of associations with obesity indices. According to this data, over 300 polymorphisms in 42 genes have been studied in various population groups within Africa mostly through the candidate gene approach. Polymorphisms in genes such as ACE, ADIPOQ, ADRB2, AGRP, AR, CAPN10, CD36, C7orf31, DRD4, FTO, MC3R, MC4R, SGIP1 and LEP were found to be associated with various measures of obesity. Of the 36 polymorphisms previously validated by genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) elsewhere, only FTO and MC4R polymorphisms showed significant associations with obesity in black South Africans, Nigerians and Ghanaians. However, these data are insufficient to establish the true nature of genetic susceptibility to obesity in populations within Africa. There has been recent progress in describing the genetic architecture of obesity among populations within Africa. This effort needs to be sustained via GWAS studies. |
| |
| Keywords: | Africa body mass index genetics obesity |
|
|
