Lin Binbin, Pan Li, He Huijing, Hu Yaoda, Tu Ji, Zhang Ling, Cui Ze, Ren Xiaolan, Wang Xianghua, Nai Jing, Shan Guangliang
Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Beijing, China.
Ann Hum Genet. 2025 Jan;89(1):1-11. doi: 10.1111/ahg.12578. Epub 2024 Sep 6.
This study aimed to investigate the heritability of various obesity indices and their shared genetic factors with cardiometabolic traits in the Chinese nuclear family.
A total of 1270 individuals from 538 nuclear families were included in this cross-sectional study. Different indices were used to quantify fat mass and distribution, including body index mass (BMI), visceral fat index (VFI), and body fat percent (BFP). Heritability and genetic correlations for all quantitative traits were estimated using variance component models. The susceptibility-threshold model was utilized to estimate the heritability for binary traits.
Heritability estimates for obesity indices were highest for BMI (59%), followed by BFP (49%), and VFI (40%). Heritability estimates for continuous cardiometabolic traits varied from 24% to 50%. All obesity measures exhibited consistently significant positive genetic correlations with blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and uric acid (r range: 0.26-0.57). However, diverse genetic correlations between various obesity indices and lipid profiles were observed. Significant genetic correlations were limited to specific pairs: BFP and total cholesterol (r = 0.24), BFP and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.25), and VFI and triglyceride (r = 0.33).
The genetic overlap between various obesity indices and cardiometabolic traits underscores the importance of pleiotropic genes. Further studies are warranted to investigate specific shared genetic and environmental factors between obesity and cardiometabolic diseases.
本研究旨在调查中国核心家庭中各种肥胖指数的遗传力及其与心脏代谢性状的共同遗传因素。
本横断面研究纳入了来自538个核心家庭的1270名个体。使用不同的指数来量化脂肪量和分布，包括身体质量指数（BMI）、内脏脂肪指数（VFI）和体脂百分比（BFP）。使用方差成分模型估计所有数量性状的遗传力和遗传相关性。采用易感性阈值模型估计二元性状的遗传力。
肥胖指数的遗传力估计值以BMI最高（59%），其次是BFP（49%）和VFI（40%）。连续性心脏代谢性状的遗传力估计值在24%至50%之间。所有肥胖指标与血压、空腹血糖和尿酸均呈现出一致且显著的正遗传相关性（r范围：0.26 - 0.57）。然而，观察到各种肥胖指数与血脂谱之间存在不同的遗传相关性。显著的遗传相关性仅限于特定的配对：BFP与总胆固醇（r = 0.24）、BFP与低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（r = 0.25）以及VFI与甘油三酯（r = 0.33）。
各种肥胖指数与心脏代谢性状之间的遗传重叠凸显了多效性基因的重要性。有必要进一步研究肥胖与心脏代谢疾病之间特定的共同遗传和环境因素。
