Matrix metallopeptidase 2 gene polymorphism is associated with obesity in Korean population

The aim of this study was to determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) are associated with obesity. MMP2 is an enzyme with proteolytic activity against matrix and nonmatrix proteins, particularly basement membrane constituents. To identify the relationship between polymorphisms of MMP2 and overweight/ obese, we genotyped 5 SNPs (rs17242319, rs1053605, rs243849, rs2287074, and rs10775332) of the coding region of MMP2 using the Golden Gate assay on an Illumina BeadStation 500 GX. One hundred and forty two overweight/ obese (BMI ≥ 23) and 145 normal (BMI 18 to < 23) subjects were analyzed. SNPStats, Haploview, HapAnalyzer, SNPAnalyzer, and Helixtree programs were used for the analysis of genetic data..A linkage disequilibrium (LD) block was discovered among the 5 SNPs selected, including rs17242319, rs1053605, rs243849, and rs2287074. Of the 5 polymorphisms, 2 synonymous SNPs [rs17242319 (Gly226Gly) and rs10775332 (Phe602Phe)] were found significant associations with overweight/obese. Recently, rs1132896 replaced rs17242319 as a new number (SNP database, BUILD 129). In haplotype analysis using Haploview, a haplotype (haplotype: CCCA) containing a meaningful polymorphism (rs17242319) was found to be significantly different. The results suggest that MMP2 may be associated with overweight/obese in Korean population.