Two loci significantly associated with obesity in Qataris: the TFAP2B variation (rs987237) (A allele versus G allele: chi-square = 10.3; P = 0.0013) and GNPDA2 variation (rs10938397) (A allele versus G allele: chi-square = 6.15; P = 0.013).
Eight loci, rs10968576 (BDNF), rs3817334 (MTCH2), rs1558902 (FTO), rs571312 (MC4R), rs543874 (SEC16B), rs987237 (TFAP2B), rs2867125 (TMEM18) and rs7138803 (FAIM2), were previously known obesity susceptibility loci, and the remaining four loci, rs1514175 (TNNI3K), rs206936 (NUDT3), rs4771122 (MTIF3) and rs2241423 (MAP2K5), were newly identified as BMI loci by the GIANT study.
The MSRA rs545854 and TFAP2B rs987237 showed nominal associations with central obesity; however, no underlying metabolic phenotypes became obvious, when investigating quantitative metabolic traits.