Estrogen receptor a is not a candidate gene for metabolic syndrome in Caucasian elderly subjects

Objective. Variants of estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) have been associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes and blood pressure. The Middle East registers some of the highest rate of metabolic syndrome worldwide. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome, a clustered combination of these metabolic factors, and polymorphisms Pvull and XbaI of ER alpha in Lebanese Caucasian elderly overweight subjects. Material/Methods. 250 Caucasian Lebanese unrelated elderly men and women, median age 71 years, were studied. ER alpha intxonic polymorphisms variants, Pvull and XbaI diplotypes and genotypes, were examined. Associations with metabolic syndrome, defined by the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI), and its components, namely high density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting glucose levels, blood pressure, and waist circumference were evaluated in regression models. Results. ER alpha diplotypes and genotypes distributions were similar between participants with and without metabolic syndrome, in the overall group of subjects, and by gender. No consistent associations between the diplotypes and genotypes tested and metabolic syndrome, or its components, could be detected. Conclusions. Genetic variants in ER alpha were not associated with metabolic syndrome or its components, in a group of 250 Lebanese Caucasian elderly participants, a group with a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.