Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42139370›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Genetic variants in the leptin-melanocortin pathway and their joint effects with physical activity and sleep duration on risk of childhood obesity.

Xiaotong Liang, Shun Pan, Jiting Ji, Yuying Deng, Miao Chen, Ziwei Huang, Jiaru Deng, Min Chen, Tiantian Xiong, Jianping Liang and 1 more

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Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Xiaotong LiangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
Shun PanDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
Jiting JiDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
Yuying DengDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
Miao ChenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
Ziwei HuangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
Jiaru DengDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
Min ChenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
Tiantian XiongDepartment of Occupational Health, Shenzhen Bao'an District Public Health Center, Shenzhen, China‌‌.
Jianping LiangDepartment of School Health, Guangzhou Health Care Promotion Center for Primary and Middle Schools, Guangzhou, China.
Li LiuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8888-7117

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the associations between functional genetic variants in leptin-melanocortin pathway and risk of childhood obesity, as well as exploring gene-lifestyle interactions on obesity risk.

methodsA frequency-matched case-control study included 1123 children and adolescents with obesity and 1231 controls from Guangzhou, China. Twelve potentially functional genetic variants were genotyped. Multivariate logistic regression and classification and regression tree were applied to identify obesity-associated genetic variants. Unweighted and weighted genetic risk scores (GRSs) were constructed, and their interactions with physical activity and sleep were assessed using relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion of interaction (AP) and the interaction of odds ratio (IOR).

resultsWe identified important genetic variants associated with obesity: MC4R rs17782313, rs12970134, LEPR rs1137101, and POMC rs6713532. High unweighted GRS was associated with a higher obesity risk than low GRS (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.09-1.79), with similar results for the weighted GRS. High unweighted GRS combined with inadequate sleep or physical activity conferred increased risk of obesity compared to low/medium GRS with healthy lifestyle (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.28-2.26; OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.17-2.17). However, the 95% CIs for all RERIs and APs contained 0, and for IORs contained 1, suggesting no significant interaction.

conclusionsFour genetic variants in the leptin-melanocortin pathway are associated with the risk of obesity, both individually and jointly. Furthermore, the joint effect of these genetic variants with inadequate sleep and physical activity may contribute to obesity development in children and adolescents.

Indexed as

ExerciseLeptinMelanocortinsPediatric ObesityAdolescentCase-Control StudiesChildFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenetic Risk ScoreGenetic VariationHumansMalePolymorphism, Single NucleotidePro-OpiomelanocortinReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 4LEPR protein, humanLeptinMelanocortinsPro-OpiomelanocortinReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 4Receptors, Leptin

Identifiers

PMID42139370
PMCPMC13178977

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.