Genome-wide scan for adiposity-related phenotypes in adults from American Samoa

To detect quantitative trait loci influencing adiposity-related phenotypes assessed by body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference (ABDCIR), percent body fat (%BFAT) and fasting serum leptin and adiponectin using a whole genome linkage scan of families from American Samoa. Family-based linkage analysis, the probands and family members were unselected for obesity. A total of 583 phenotyped American Samoan adults, of which 578 were genotyped in 34 pedigrees. A total of 377 autosomal and 18 X chromosome microsatellite markers were typed at an approximate average spacing of 10 cM spanning the genome. Multipoint LOD (logarithm of the odds) scores were calculated using variance-components approaches and SOLAR/LOKI software. The covariates simultaneously evaluated were age, sex, education, farm work and cigarette smoking, with a significance level of 0.1. Due to the stochastic nature of LOKI, we report the average of maximum LOD scores from 10 runs. Significant linkage to leptin was found at 6q32.2 with LOD of 3.83. Suggestive linkage to leptin was found at 16q21:LOD=2.98, 1q42.2:LOD=1.97, 5q11.2:LOD=2.08, 12q24.23:LOD=2.00, 19p13.3:LOD=2.05; adiponectin was linked to 13q33.1–q22.1:LOD=2.41; %BFAT was linked to 16q12.2–q21, LOD=2.24; ABDCIR was linked to 16q23.1:LOD=1.95; %BFAT-adjusted leptin to 14q12, LOD=2.01; %BFAT-adjusted ABDCIR to 1q31.1, LOD=2.36, to 3q27.3–q28, LOD=2.10 and to 12p12.3, LOD=2.04. We found strong evidence for a major locus on 6q23.2 influencing serum leptin levels in American Samoans. The 16q21 region appears to harbor a susceptibility locus that has significant pleiotrophic effects on phenotypes BMI, %BFAT, leptin and ABDCIR as shown by bivariate linkage analyses. Several other loci of varying significance were detected across the genome.