Association of a genetic variant of BTN2A1 with metabolic syndrome in East Asian populations

This study examined the relation of rs6929846 of BTN2A1 to metabolic syndrome (MetS) in 5210 Japanese or Korean individuals from three independent subject panels. The genotype distributions and allele frequencies of rs6929846 were significantly associated with MetS in Japanese subject panels A and B, but not in Korean individuals. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that rs6929846 of BTN2A1 was significantly associated with MetS in Japanese subject panel A (odds ratio, 1.97) and in all individuals (odds ratio, 1.38), with the T allele representing a risk factor for this condition. BTN2A1 may be a susceptible gene for MetS in Japanese individuals. (By Professor Yoshiji Yamada, http://jmg.bmj.com/content/early/2011/07/21/jmg.2010.088138.abstract?papetoc)