Common Variations in Perilipin rs1052700 and FTO rs3751812 Gene Variants, and Risk for Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes

Background: Perilipins are proteins that coat lipid globules in adipocytes, which are steroid-generating cells that play a central role in lipid storage and breakdown. The FTO gene is associated with type-2 diabetes (T2D) and increased fat mass. In this work the association of perilipin and FTO gene polymorphisms in T2D was investigated. Methods: One hundred eighty-three Iranian men and women with T2D, and 174 healthy controls with no known metabolic diseases, participated in the study. The subjects were genotyped using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (Tetra-ARMS-PCR) and their clinical traits were analyzed. Results: A significant association was found between the perilipin rs1052700 polymorphism and T2D, and between the FTO rs3751812 polymorphism and obesity (P = 0.03 and 0.003, respectively); however, no significant relationship was found between rs3751812 and T2D. Conclusions: The FTO rs3751812 polymorphism is a major genetic determinant of obesity, but not T2D. The perilipin rs1052700 polymorphism is related to T2D but not obesity.