Genetic, epigenetic and transcriptional variations at NFATC2IP locus with weight loss in response to diet interventions: The POUNDS Lost Trial.

DNA Methylation of NFATC2IP was recently identified as being causally related to body mass index. The present study aimed to examine the roles of the genetic variation, methylation and gene expression at this locus in adiposity changes in a 2-year weight-loss trial. Participants (n = 692) were genotyped and randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 reduced-calorie diets, DNA methylation was derived from stored blood samples at baseline (n = 48), and adipose tissue gene expression was measured in 96 volunteers. We found significant interactions of fat intake with the genetic (rs11150675) and transcriptional (ILMN_1725441) variations at the NFATC2IP locus on 2-year weight change (P < .01). Similarly, cis-DNA methylation at cg26663590 of the NFATC2IP locus showed an opposite impact on weight-loss in response to high-fat vs low-fat diet (effect size, 4.62 vs -1.24 kg). Additionally, baseline methylation at cg26663590 causally mediated 52.8% of the effect of rs11150675 on 2-year weight-loss in the high-fat diet group (P = .01), whereas no such mediation was observed in the low-fat diet group. Our findings suggest potentially causal effects of genetic, epigenetic and transcriptional variations at the NFATC2IP locus on adiposity changes in response to dietary fat intake.