This study suggests that NPY rs16147 T and rs16139 C minor alleles are associated with increased risk, whereas the minor allele T of the rs5574 is associated with a reduced risk of obesity.
In this study, we investigated the role of two functional NPY polymorphisms, NPY-Leu7Pro (rs16139) and NPY-399C/T (rs16147) and obesity for the development of asthma as well as atherosclerosis in asthmatic and non-asthmatic subjects.
Two SNPs (rs17149106 (G>T) and rs16139 (T>C)), with minor allele frequencies of 4%, were associated with elevated risks of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) in both cohorts.
In 6 years follow-up, the polymorphism alone did not change the risk for abnormal glucose regulation, while obesity</span> was associated with a significant 3-fold risk (odds ratio (OR) 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81-4.81, P<0.001) and the Leu7Pro polymorphism-obesity interaction, with a remarkable 12-fold risk (OR 12.33; 95% CI 1.18-128.35, P<0.05).
The consistent findings among men suggest that the NPY Leu7Pro polymorphism (or another linked marker) might be involved in the development of obesity at younger ages.