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Abstract Genes can influence lipid profile and anthropometric variables related to obesity. The present study aimed to verify if variants of the APOE, APOB, ADIPOQ, HSD11β1, and PLIN4 genes are associated with lipid levels or anthropometric variables in a sample comprised of 393 Euro-Brazilian children and adolescents. DNA was genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. The ε4 and ε2 alleles of the APOE gene were associated respectively with lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (p=0.015 and p=0.012, respectively), while the ε3 allele was associated with higher abdominal circumference (p=0.0416) and excess weight (p=0.0001). The G allele (rs846910) of the HSD11β1 gene was also associated with excess weight (p=0.039). No other association was found. Our results indicate that the ε4 and ε2 alleles could contribute to lower HDL-C and LDL-C levels, respectively, furthermore, the ε3 allele and the G allele (rs846910) of HSD11β1 gene may be risk factors for excess of weight.These findings are very important because we observed that some genetic variants influence the lipid profile and anthropometric variables early in life.

The individual response to diet may be influenced by gene polymorphisms. This study hypothesized that ADRB2 (Gln27Glu, rs1042714 and Arg16Gly, rs1042713), ADRB3 (Trp64Arg, rs4994) and GHRL (Leu72Met, rs696217) polymorphisms moderate weight loss. The study was a seven weeks dietary weight loss intervention with Brazilian adult obese women (n = 109). The body mass index (BMI) was calculated and polymorphisms in these genes were assessed by real-time PCR assays. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (2 x 2) were used to analyze the intervention effect between polymorphisms and BMI over the period and after stratification for age and socioeconomic status (SES). The weight loss intervention resulted in decreased BMI over the seven-week period (p < 0.001), for high and low SES (p < 0.05) and mainly for participants with 30-49 y. The intervention did not result in a statistically significant difference in weight loss between polymorphism carriers and non-carriers, and although, the ADRB2, ADRB3 and GHRL polymorphisms did not moderate weight loss, the Gln27Glu polymorphism carriers showed a lower BMI compared to non-carriers in the low SES (p = 0.018) and the 30-39 y (p = 0.036) groups, suggesting a role for this polymorphism related to BMI control.