Association of IRX3 rs3751723 polymorphism with the risk of overweight and obesity: case-control study and meta-analysis

Association of the iroquois homeobox 3 (IRX3) rs3751723 polymorphism has been shown to increase the risk of obesity, but the data are underreported in the Malaysian population. Therefore, this study sought to investigate this association in the Malaysian population using both a case-control study and a meta-analysis. Genotyping of the IRX3 rs3751723 polymorphism was performed for 1030 age-matched Malaysians using hydrolysis probe. Odds ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. A meta-analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta Analysis software Ver. 2.2.064. Our results showed that the variant G/G genotype was significantly associated with a higher risk of obesity in the Malaysian population, especially in individuals who did not intake fast-food. The presence of the variant G allele was linked to overweight susceptibility in Malaysian females, but seemed to be protective against being overweight and obese among current smokers. However, a meta-analysis showed no significant associations between this polymorphism and obesity in all genetic comparison models. In summary, this study established a significant relationship between the IRX3 rs3751723 polymorphism and gender and lifestyle differences with respect to susceptibility of overweight and obesity in the Malaysian population; yet no significant association was found in a meta-analysis. Taken together, these data could be beneficial for informing personal health management decisions and population-based study designs that target overweight susceptibility and obesity.