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Artículos de Revisión
Genetic of obesity
Eduardo Cuestas
Revista Facultad de Ciencias Medicas 2008; 65(4): 117
Concept, acquisition,
interpretation of data, drafting the article and writing the
final version.
Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology. Hospital Privado
Centro Médico de Córdoba. Academic Unit. School of Medicine.
National University of Cordoba. Argentina.
Prof. Dr. E Cuestas. Servicio de Pediatría y Neonatología.
Hospital Privado. Naciones Unidas 346
Córdoba X50016KEH. Telephone: 54-351-4688241. Fax:
54-351-4688286 e-mail.
Abstract
Background: Obesity is a complex phenomenon that involves
interactions between environmental and genetics factors. The
genetic studies in animal models and humans has allowed
great progress in the knowledge of body weight regulation.
Identifying the hypothalamic leptin/melanocortin pathway as
critical in many cases of monogenic obesity has permitted
targeted, hypothesis-driven experiments to be performed, and
has implicated new candidates as causative for previously
uncharacterized clinical cases of obesity.
Data sources: Narrative review. PubMed, Lilacs and ScieLo
databases were searched with the terms “obesity”, “genetics”
and limited only for “ all child 0-18 years”.
Results: Numerous studies in children and adolescents, have
tried to identify candidate genes. At present, the results
are not conclusive. Thus, is yet premature genotype obese
child on a large scale for predictive testing. Meanwhile,
the effects of mutations in the melanocortin-4 receptor
gene, for which the obese phenotype varies in the degree of
severity among individuals, are now thought to be influenced
by one's environmental surroundings. Molecular approaches
have revealed that syndromes previously assumed to be
controlled by a single gene are conversely regulated by
multiple elements.
Conclusions: When specific treatments based on recent
discoveries become available, genetic testing could help to
discriminate different types of obesity that may respond
differentially to therapeutic measures.
Key words: obesity; genetics; child; adolescent
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2008
Volumen 65 n°
4
