Objective: To examine the association of a common -2548G/A (rs7799039) promoter variant of the human leptin gene (LEP) with obesity or body mass index (BMI) and its associated phenotypes such as blood pressure variability and the prevalence of hypertension in a sample of the Tunisian population.
Design and methods: Two hundred and twenty-nine obese patients were screened and compared with 251 normal weight subjects. The -2548G/A LEP polymorphism was analysed by PCR-RFLP procedure.
Results: No significant association was found between the -2548G/A polymorphism and obesity or BMI. However, in obese patients subjects with AA genotype had significantly higher systolic (p = 0.003) and diastolic (p = 0.002) blood pressure compared with those with GA or GG genotypes. Stratified analysis by gender revealed that male patients but not female homozygous for -2548A allele exhibited significantly increased systolic (p = 0.01) and diastolic (p<0.001) blood pressure than did carriers of -2548G allele. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that AA genotype significantly affect systolic and diastolic blood pressure in obese men. Additionally, significant association between AA genotype and higher prevalence of hypertension was found in male patients (p = 0.03).
Conclusion: The present study showed that the -2548G/A LEP polymorphism is associated with blood pressure in obese male patients.