Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial disorder influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Adiponectin, encoded by the ADIPOQ gene, regulates glucose metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, and insulin sensitivity, with circulating levels inversely related to adiposity. The ADIPOQ gene promoter variant −11377C>G (rs266729) has been linked to altered mRNA gene expression and obesity risk, though findings vary across populations. Aim: To study the association between the ADIPOQ gene (−11377C>G) polymorphism and obesity, and to determine relative gene expression level of adiponectin gene mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in Myanmar adult males. Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted involving 114 obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m²) and 114 non-obese (BMI <25 kg/m²) adult males aged 30-60 years. Genetic analysis of ADIPOQ gene (−11377C>G) polymorphism was performed using PCR-RFLP method. Adiponectin mRNA expression in PBMCs was quantified in a subset of 40 individuals using SYBR Green-based qRT-PCR. SPSS v.20 was used for statistical analysis with the level of significance set at p<0.05. Results: Genotype distributions of the ADIPOQ gene (−11377C>G) polymorphism obeyed to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The G allele and CG genotype were significantly more common in obese subjects, with the G allele was associated with a 1.56-fold increased obesity risk (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.04-2.32, p = 0.027), indicating a co-dominant effect. Mean adiponectin mRNA expression in PBMCs was 6.82-fold lower in obese compared with non-obese individuals; and there is slight increase of mRNA level in C allele carriers but not statistically significant. Conclusion: The ADIPOQ gene (−11377C>G) polymorphism is associated with increased susceptibility to obesity in adult Myanmar males, and also, adiponectin relative gene expression level was significantly lower in obese persons, though there is no impact of SNP on adiponectin transcription in PBMCs. These findings support ADIPOQ as a potential genetic biomarker for obesity risk. Larger, multi-ethnic, and functionally focused studies are necessary to validate these results and to clarify gene-environment interactions in obesity pathogenesis.