| Description |
Metabolic disease disproportionately affects Pacific Islander populations, who remain underrepresented in genetic research. This study investigates associations between genetic variants in four genes (FTO, CREBRF, BTNL9, and ASAH2) and five metabolic traits (BMI, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, and total cholesterol) across three Pacific Islander cohorts: Native Hawaiians in the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology Multi Ethnic Cohort (PAGE-MEC) study, Samoan individuals in the Samoan Adiposity Study (SAS), and Utah-based Pacific Islanders from the Utah Pacific Islander Diabetes Study (UPIDS) cohort. Association testing was performed separately by cohort using linear regression models with age, sex, and principal components as covariates. Bonferroni correction was applied to account for multiple testing. Significant associations were detected in the SAS and PAGE-MEC cohorts. In SAS, the CREBRF variant was associated with higher BMI and lower total cholesterol, while the BTNL9 variant was associated with lower HDL-C and elevated triglycerides. In PAGEMEC, significant associations were observed between CREBRF and BMI as well as FTO and BMI. No statistically significant associations were found in UPIDS. The ASAH2 variant did not yield significant results in any cohort. These findings replicate previous associations, extend them to additional cohorts, and highlight the value of studying underrepresented populations to better understand the genetic architecture of metabolic disease. |
