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The 3111T/C polymorphism of the CLOCK gene confers a predisposition to a lifetime lower body weight in patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A preliminary study
Author(s) -
Tortorella Alfonso,
Monteleone Palmiero,
Martiadis Vassilis,
Perris Francesco,
Maj Mario
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
american journal of medical genetics part b: neuropsychiatric genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.393
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1552-485X
pISSN - 1552-4841
DOI - 10.1002/ajmg.b.30508
Subject(s) - bulimia nervosa , anorexia nervosa , clock , genotype , allele , eating disorders , polymorphism (computer science) , medicine , circadian rhythm , anorexia , psychology , endocrinology , endogeny , genetics , gene , biology , circadian clock , psychiatry
Feeding is subjected to circadian regulation; therefore, changes in the components of the endogenous oscillator regulating circadian rhythms may be involved in disordered rhythmicity of eating behavior as it occurs in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). We investigated whether the 3111T/C polymorphism of the CLOCK gene, which is part of the endogenous oscillator system, was associated to AN and/or BN. A total of 241 women, including 90 healthy controls, 60 patients with AN and 91 patients with BN, participated into the study. The frequencies of 3111T/C genotypes and alleles did not significantly differ among the groups. In both the AN and BN group, subjects carrying one copy of the C allele had a lifetime body weight significantly lower than those carrying the T/T genotype. These findings, although preliminary, suggest that the 3111T/C polymorphism of the CLOCK gene does not play a major role in the genetic vulnerability to AN and BN, but it seems to predispose eating disorders (EDs) patients to a more severe lifetime body weight loss. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.