Objective: We examined the potential impact of the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (5-HT(2A)R) c.1438A>G promoter polymorphism on obesity and estimates of insulin, glucose as well as lipid metabolism.
Methods: The genotypes and allelic frequencies of the 5-HT(2A)R c.1438A>G were examined with polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 210 patients with overweight/obesity and 216 unrelated healthy subjects.
Results: The genotype (AA, AG, and GG) distribution of c.1438A>G polymorphism of the 5-HT(2A)R gene promoter was 35%, 46%, and 19% in patients, and 32%, 56%, 12% in controls, respectively, no significant difference was found between two groups. Association of genetic diversity of 5-HT(2A)R c.1438A>G with the total body fat, fat distribution and clinical characteristics revealed that overweight/obese men carrying G allele were associated with increased body mass index (P = 0.043), waist circumference (P = 0.038), waist-to-hip ratio (P = 0.045), in comparison with patients who carrying A allele, but there were no significant difference between the c.1438A>G genotype groups in overweight/obese women.
Conclusion: No significant associations were detected. However, the present study suggests the possibility that an abnormal production rate of the 5-HT(2A)R c.1438A>G gene product might lead to the development of abdominal obesity in men but not in women.