DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2016.v04i10.014

Pages: 870-879

Obesity is the result of interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in various genes controlling appetite and metabolism predispose to obesity when sufficient calories are present. It is not known whether polymorphisms in FXR gene are associated with high lipid level among obese individuals. This study was designed to investigate and compare the lipid profile and polymorphism of the FXR gene in obese individuals, overweight and normal weight individuals. We investigated 35 obese subjects, 35 overweight subjects and 35 normal weight subjects. Plasma triglyceride, plasma cholesterol, plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL), plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) and fasting blood glucose were determined in these subjects. These subjects were also genotyped for farnesoid receptor. Abnormal allele of FXR gene occurred more frequently in the obese category than those in overweight and normal weight category. Plasma triglyceride was significantly lower in FXR homozygous (FXR+/+) individual than FXR heterozygous (FXR+/-) individual (p<0.05). Plasma HDL was significantly higher in heterozygous subjects than homozygous subjects for FXR. Plasma cholesterol and LDL was significantly lower in FXR+/+ as compared to FXR+/-(p<0.05). Genetic changes affecting FXR function have the potential to be proatherogenic and early management strategy should be encouraged to protect these group of individual from atherogenic complications.