Objective: The common promoter -675 4G/5G insertion/deletion polymorphism (indel) in the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene has been associated with quantitative components of the metabolic syndrome. We hypothesized that this polymorphism is associated with precocious pubarche (PP), a population known to be at risk for hyperinsulinaemic hyperandrogenism.
Design: A cross-sectional, hospital-based study.
Patients: A total of 115 control and 182 PP Catalan girls and young women.
Measurements: Subjects were genotyped for the -675 4G/5G indel in the PAI-1 gene. Insulin resistance and insulin secretion were estimated by the homeostasis model assessment.
Results: Genotype frequencies for the PAI-1-675 4G/5G indel (4G4G, 4G5G and 5G5G) were similar in control and PP subjects (24%vs. 27%, 50%vs. 47%, and 26%vs. 26%, respectively; P = 0.85) and these frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The 5G allele, however, was associated with insulin resistance in both postmenarcheal control and PP subjects (P < 0.01 for pooled postmenarcheal subjects, N = 122). The coexistence with the at-risk genotype of both a low birthweight (standard deviation score, SDS < -1.0) and a high body mass index (BMI) at time of the study (SDS > +1.0) resulted in a noteworthy increase (P < 0.001) in insulin resistance.
Conclusion: The common promoter -675 4G/5G indel of the PAI-1 gene is not associated with PP but, in Catalan young women, the 5G allele enhances the risk for insulin resistance imposed by the sequence of a low birth weight (LBW) and a high BMI.