AUTHOR=Chen Xiaotian , Liu Chunlan , Yang Song , Yang Yaming , Chen Yanchun , Zhao Xianghai , Zhu Weiguang , Zhao Qihui , Ni Chuan , Huang Xiangyuan , Yan Weili , Shen Chong , Gu Harvest F. 

TITLE=Gender Specificity and Local Socioeconomic Influence on Association of GHR fl/d3 Polymorphism With Growth and Metabolism in Children and Adolescents

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2022.546080

DOI=10.3389/fped.2022.546080

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>Growth hormone receptor (<italic>GHR</italic>) mediates most GH biological actions. This study is aimed to evaluate whether <italic>GHR</italic> fl/d3 polymorphism contributes to the inter-individual variability of growth and metabolism in healthy children and adolescents.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 4,730 students aged 6-16 years from Yixing and Suqian City in China were included in this cross-sectional study. Height and body mass index (BMI) were transformed into the form of z-score corresponding to age and gender. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations of <italic>GHR</italic> fl/d3 polymorphism with height, BMI, metabolic traits, and hypertension by estimating the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p><italic>GHR</italic> d3 allele was inversely associated with overweight, total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels (OR [95% CI] for overweight: 0.754 [0.593-0.959], <italic>P</italic> = 0.021; OR [95% CI] for TC: 0.744 [0.614-0.902], <italic>P</italic> = 0.003; OR [95% CI] for TG: 0.812 [0.654-0.998], <italic>P</italic> = 0.047). <italic>GHR</italic> d3 allele was associated with decreased odds of pre-hypertension in boys (OR [95% CI]: 0.791 [0.645-0.971], <italic>P</italic> = 0.025), but associated with increased odds of pre-hypertension and hypertension in girls (ORs [95% CIs]: 1.379 [1.106-1.719], <italic>P</italic> = 0.004; OR [95% CI]: 1.240 [1.013-1.519], <italic>P</italic> = 0.037). Interaction of <italic>GHR</italic> fl/d3 polymorphism with gender contributed to increased odds of pre-hypertension and hypertension (interactive ORs [95% CIs]: 1.735 [1.214-2.481], <italic>P</italic> = 0.003; OR [95% CI]: 1.509 [1.092-2.086], <italic>P</italic> = 0.013). Stratification analysis showed that the correlation tendencies of <italic>GHR</italic> fl/d3 polymorphism and BMI with age were different between two cities with discrepant economic development levels.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p><italic>GHR</italic> fl/d3 polymorphism is associated with growth, metabolism, and hypertension in children and adolescents with the gender specificity, and the genetic effect of <italic>GHR</italic> fl/d3 may be modified by the local socioeconomic levels.</p></sec>