Articles |
From the Department of Genetics, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Tex (B.D.M., C.M.K., M.C.M., J.B., A.G.C., L.D.A., J.W.M.), and the Department of Medicine/Epidemiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio (S.M.H., M.P.S.).
Correspondence to Braxton D. Mitchell, PhD, Department of Genetics, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, PO Box 28147, San Antonio, TX 78228-0147. E-mail bmitchel@darwin.sfbr.org.
Abstract Insulin resistance is part of a metabolic syndrome that also includes noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity, and hypertension. It has been hypothesized that insulin resistance represents the primary physiological defect underlying this syndrome. Since insulin resistance is at least partially genetically determined, we hypothesized that genes influencing insulin resistance would have pleiotropic effects on a number of other traits, including triglyceride (TG) and HDL cholesterol levels, body mass index (BMI) and body fat distribution, and blood pressure levels. To investigate this hypothesis, we analyzed data obtained from individuals in 41 families enrolled in the San Antonio Family Heart Study. Statistical methods that take advantage of the relatedness among individuals were used to differentiate between genetic and nongenetic (ie, environmental) contributions to phenotypic variation between traits. Serum levels of fasting and 2-hour insulin (measured in 767 and 743 nondiabetic family members, respectively) were used as a measure of insulin resistance. The genetic correlations were high between insulin levels (both fasting and 2-hour) and each of the following: BMI, HDL level, waist-to-hip ratio, and subscapular-to-triceps ratio, indicating that the same gene, or set of genes, influences each pair of traits. In contrast, the genetic correlations of insulin levels with systolic and diastolic blood pressures were low. We have previously shown that a single diallelic locus accounts for 31% of the phenotypic variation in 2-hour insulin levels in this population. We conducted a bivariate segregation analysis to see if the common genetic effects on insulin and these other traits could be attributable to this single locus. These results indicated a significant effect of the 2-hour insulin locus on fasting insulin levels (P=.02) and BMI (P=.05), with the "high" insulin allele associated with higher levels of fasting insulin but lower levels of BMI. There was no detectable effect of this locus on HDL level, TG level, subscapular-to-triceps ratio, or blood pressure. Overall, these results suggest that a common set of genes influencing insulin levels also influences other insulin resistance syndromerelated traits, although for the most part this pleiotropy is not attributable to the 2-hour insulin level major locus.
Key Words: insulin body mass index genetics pleiotropy
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
P.-I Lin and B. D. Mitchell Approaches for Unraveling the Joint Genetic Determinants of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Schizophr Bull, July 1, 2008; 34(4): 791 - 797. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Gilibert, A. E. Kwitek, N. Hubner, M. Tschannen, H. J. Jacob, J. Sassard, and A. Bataillard Effects of chromosome 17 on features of the metabolic syndrome in the Lyon hypertensive rat Physiol Genomics, April 21, 2008; 33(2): 212 - 217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. Tang, Y. Hong, M. A. Province, S. S. Rich, P. N. Hopkins, D. K. Arnett, J. S. Pankow, M. B. Miller, and J. H. Eckfeldt Familial Clustering for Features of the Metabolic Syndrome: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Family Heart Study. Diabetes Care, March 1, 2006; 29(3): 631 - 636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Nitsch, M. Molokhia, L. Smeeth, B. L. DeStavola, J. C. Whittaker, and D. A. Leon Limits to Causal Inference based on Mendelian Randomization: A Comparison with Randomized Controlled Trials Am. J. Epidemiol., March 1, 2006; 163(5): 397 - 403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. Chen, S. R. Srinivasan, S. Li, J. Xu, and G. S. Berenson Metabolic Syndrome Variables at Low Levels in Childhood Are Beneficially Associated With Adulthood Cardiovascular Risk: The Bogalusa Heart Study Diabetes Care, January 1, 2005; 28(1): 126 - 131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. C.Y. Ng, W.-Y. So, V. K.L. Lam, C. S. Cockram, G. I. Bell, N. J. Cox, and J. C.N. Chan Genome-wide Scan for Metabolic Syndrome and Related Quantitative Traits in Hong Kong Chinese and Confirmation of a Susceptibility Locus on Chromosome 1q21-q25 Diabetes, October 1, 2004; 53(10): 2676 - 2683. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. E. Sonnenberg, G. R. Krakower, L. J. Martin, M. Olivier, A. E. Kwitek, A. G. Comuzzie, J. Blangero, and A. H. Kissebah Genetic determinants of obesity-related lipid traits J. Lipid Res., April 1, 2004; 45(4): 610 - 615. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. S. Pankow, D. R. Jacobs Jr, J. Steinberger, A. Moran, and A. R. Sinaiko Insulin Resistance and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Children of Parents With the Insulin Resistance (Metabolic) Syndrome Diabetes Care, March 1, 2004; 27(3): 775 - 780. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. J. F. Loos, P. T. Katzmarzyk, D. C. Rao, T. Rice, A. S. Leon, J. S. Skinner, J. H. Wilmore, T. Rankinen, and C. Bouchard Genome-Wide Linkage Scan for the Metabolic Syndrome in the HERITAGE Family Study J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2003; 88(12): 5935 - 5943. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. Tang, M. B. Miller, S. S. Rich, K. E. North, J. S. Pankow, I. B. Borecki, R. H. Myers, P. N. Hopkins, M. Leppert, and D. K. Arnett Linkage Analysis of a Composite Factor for the Multiple Metabolic Syndrome: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study Diabetes, November 1, 2003; 52(11): 2840 - 2847. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. Dallongeville, N. Helbecque, D. Cottel, P. Amouyel, and A. Meirhaeghe The Gly16->Arg16 and Gln27->Glu27 Polymorphisms of {beta}2-Adrenergic Receptor Are Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2003; 88(10): 4862 - 4866. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. L. Hanson, G. Imperatore, P. H. Bennett, and W. C. Knowler Components of the "Metabolic Syndrome" and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes, October 1, 2002; 51(10): 3120 - 3127. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. B. Meigs, C. I. M. Panhuysen, R. H. Myers, P. W.F. Wilson, and L. A. Cupples A Genome-Wide Scan for Loci Linked to Plasma Levels of Glucose and HbA1c in a Community-Based Sample of Caucasian Pedigrees: The Framingham Offspring Study Diabetes, March 1, 2002; 51(3): 833 - 840. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Arya, J. Blangero, K. Williams, L. Almasy, T. D. Dyer, R. J. Leach, P. O'Connell, M. P. Stern, and R. Duggirala Factors of Insulin Resistance Syndrome-Related Phenotypes Are Linked to Genetic Locations on Chromosomes 6 and 7 in Nondiabetic Mexican-Americans Diabetes, March 1, 2002; 51(3): 841 - 847. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. D Mills and P. J Grant Insulin resistance, haemostatic factors and cardiovascular risk The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease, January 1, 2002; 2(1): 19 - 26. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. H. Kissebah, G. E. Sonnenberg, J. Myklebust, M. Goldstein, K. Broman, R. G. James, J. A. Marks, G. R. Krakower, H. J. Jacob, J. Weber, et al. Quantitative trait loci on chromosomes 3 and 17 influence phenotypes of the metabolic syndrome PNAS, December 19, 2000; 97(26): 14478 - 14483. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. Imperatore, W. C. Knowler, D. J. Pettitt, S. Kobes, J. H. Fuller, P. H. Bennett, and R. L. Hanson A Locus Influencing Total Serum Cholesterol on Chromosome 19p : Results From an Autosomal Genomic Scan of Serum Lipid Concentrations in Pima Indians Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., December 1, 2000; 20(12): 2651 - 2656. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. E. Hixson, L. Almasy, S. Cole, S. Birnbaum, B. D. Mitchell, M. C. Mahaney, M. P. Stern, J. W. MacCluer, J. Blangero, and A. G. Comuzzie Normal Variation in Leptin Levels Is Associated with Polymorphisms in the Proopiomelanocortin Gene, POMC J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 1999; 84(9): 3187 - 3191. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Hong, T. Rice, J. Gagnon, J.-P. Després, A. Nadeau, L. Pérusse, C. Bouchard, A. S. Leon, J. S. Skinner, J. H. Wilmore, et al. Familial Clustering of Insulin and Abdominal Visceral Fat: The HERITAGE Family Study J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 1998; 83(12): 4239 - 4245. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
D. L. Rainwater, B. D. Mitchell, M. C. Mahaney, and S. M. Haffner Genetic Relationship Between Measures of HDL Phenotypes and Insulin Concentrations Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., December 1, 1997; 17(12): 3414 - 3419. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Hong, N. L. Pedersen, N. Egberg, and U. de Faire Moderate Genetic Influences on Plasma Levels of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and Evidence of Genetic and Environmental Influences Shared by Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1, Triglycerides, and Body Mass Index Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., November 1, 1997; 17(11): 2776 - 2782. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
L. Perusse, T. Rice, J. P. Despres, D. C. Rao, and C. Bouchard Cross-Trait Familial Resemblance for Body Fat and Blood Lipids: Familial Correlations in the Quebec Family Study Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., November 1, 1997; 17(11): 3270 - 3277. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
W. Group, S. S. Gidding, R. L. Leibel, S. Daniels, M. Rosenbaum, L. Van Horn, and G. R. Marx Understanding Obesity in Youth: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the Committee on Atherosclerosis and Hypertension in the Young of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young and the Nutrition Committee, American Heart Association Circulation, December 15, 1996; 94(12): 3383 - 3387. [Full Text] |
||||
|
ATVB Home | Subscriptions | Archives | Feedback | Authors | Help | AHA Journals Home | Search Copyright © 1996 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited. |