Resistin gene variations are associated with the metabolic syndrome in Japanese men

SummaryObjectivesMetabolic syndrome is defined as a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and is intimately related to insulin resistance. Resistin, a hormone secreted by adipocytes, may play an important role in communication between adiposity and insulin resistance. We investigated whether variations in the resistin gene associated with metabolic syndrome in a Japanese population.MethodWe analyzed five SNPs, two of which were located in the promoter region (−420C > G, −358G > A), two in intron 2 (+157C > T, +299G > A), and one in the 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) (+1263G > C) across the resistin gene in 2968 residents from an urban Japanese cohort. The associations of SNPs and haplotypes with metabolic syndrome were analyzed.ResultsThe GAC and CGC haplotypes (comprising −420C > G, −358G > A, and +157C > T) had opposite influences on metabolic syndrome susceptibility in men; the former was associated with an increased risk and the latter with a decreased risk. We also found that the −420G allele was significantly associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and significantly correlated with high diastolic blood pressure, high HOMA-IR values, high serum triglyceride levels, low HDL-cholesterol levels and high serum levels of adiponectin.ConclusionWe identified a risk-conferring SNP and haplotype of the resistin gene for metabolic syndrome in a Japanese population. Our data suggested that resistin gene is a susceptibility gene for metabolic syndrome in Japanese men.