Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of candidate genes α2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG, rs4917), Hypocretin (HCRT, rs760282) and Neuropetide Y2 receptor (NPY2R, rs 1047214), which are known to have a potential effect on body mass index (BMI) and other indicators of obesity. A population study was performed in 2007/2008 on 2559 adults (1191 males and 1368 females) from the Czech post-MONICA project. The SNPs were examined using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. We did not find any significant association between the examined SNPs and BMI across the whole population. A significantly lower triglyceride level was found in the AHSG gene CC homozygotes compared to T allele carriers in the entire population (p = 0.009). In conclusion, we are not able to confirm the hypothesis that polymorphisms within the AHSG, HCRT and NPY2R genes are major genetic determinants of BMI and plasma lipids in the Czech-Slavonic population.