ABSTRACT
Background: Although vitamin D deficiency has been studied in various populations, there are few data on its prevalence and associated factors among Moroccan women. Aim: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and investigate its association with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and serum concentrations of parathyroid hormone, calcium, and phosphorus in a sample of Moroccan adult women. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Mohammed V Military Hospital of Instruction, Rabat. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical analyses were performed using standard procedures Results: A total of 714 women aged 18-65 years participated in this study. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 74.4%. Approximately 24% and 51% of women had severe and moderate vitamin D deficiency, respectively. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were inversely correlated with BMI in vitamin D-deficient subjects (P = 0.036) and with parathyroid hormone 1-84 (PTH1-84) levels in the study sample (P = 0.010). PTH1-84 concentrations were greater among overweight/obese individuals compared to their non-overweight peers (P = 0.001) and tended to be higher among vitamin D-deficient women than vitamin D-sufficient women (P = 0.053). Conclusion: This study showed a very high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this sample of Moroccan women. Lower serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with increased BMI in vitamin D-deficient women and with elevated PTH1-84 levels among the study sample. Although these findings come from a convenience sample of women that attended a nutrition clinic, they underscore the urgent need to develop public health interventions to improve women's vitamin D status.
Subject(s)
Vitamin D Deficiency , Vitamin D , Adult , Female , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Obesity/complications , Vitamins , Vitamin D Deficiency/epidemiology , Body Mass Index , Parathyroid HormoneABSTRACT
Leptin receptor (LEPR) is a member of the class I cytokine receptor family that receives and transmits leptin signals. It is primarily involved in the regulation of energy expenditure and food intake. This study aimed to evaluate the association of LEPR gene polymorphisms, Lys109Arg, Gln223Arg and Lys656Asn, with obesity in Moroccan women and to explore the structural and functional consequences of these SNPs. The variants were genotyped using the Sanger sequencing method. The three-dimensional structures of LEPR extracellular domains were determined using a template-based tertiary structure modeling web server and the protein variants were generated using in silico mutagenesis. The amino acids conservation analysis in the variants region was performed based on a protein's evolutionary profile. The molecular dynamics simulations of the wild-types and variants N-terminal, cytokine receptor homology I and fibronectin type III domains of LEPR protein were performed to investigate their impact on the domain structures. We identified that only Lys656Asn polymorphism is associated with obesity in Moroccan women (P = 0.024). In silico analyses revealed that Lys109, Gln223 and Lys656 are exposed residues and their substitution leads to changes in protein structure through loss or gain of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Lys656Asn increases the stability and decreased flexibility of the fibronectin type III domain. Lys109Arg highly decreases the stability and increases flexibility and the overall dimension of N-terminal and cytokine receptor homology I domains. Gln223Arg increases the stability and the compaction level of these domains. These results provide insight into the involvement of LEPR variants in obesity development.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
ABSTRACT
Screening the MC4R gene showed one rare mutation p.Met215Ile in a Moroccan patient with morbid obesity, which leads to a change in the protein structure. The analysis of MC4R variants may be useful for future therapeutic approaches.
