Lipoprotein lipase variants interact with polyunsaturated fatty acids for obesity traits in women: Replication in two populations

- LPL variant rs320 interacted with dietary PUFA for obesity traits in women.
- Higher intake of PUFA was associated with lower obesity traits in TT not TG/GG.
- These significant interactions were replicated in two independent populations.
- These interactions may be relevant to the dietary management of obesity in women.

Background and aimsLipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a candidate gene for obesity based on its role in triglyceride hydrolysis and the partitioning of fatty acids towards storage or oxidation. Whether dietary fatty acids modify LPL associated obesity risk is unknown.Methods and resultsWe examined five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs320, rs2083637, rs17411031, rs13702, rs2197089) for potential interaction with dietary fatty acids for obesity traits in 1171 participants (333 men and 838 women, aged 45-75 y) of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS). In women, SNP rs320 interacted with dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.002) and waist circumference (WC) (P = 0.001) respectively. Higher intake of PUFA was associated with lower BMI and WC in homozygotes of the major allele (TT) (P = 0.01 and 0.005) but not in minor allele carriers (TG and GG). These interactions were replicated in an independent population, African American women of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study (n = 1334).ConclusionDietary PUFA modulated the association of LPL rs320 with obesity traits in two independent populations. These interactions may be relevant to the dietary management of obesity, particularly in women.