BackgroundUncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) gene polymorphisms have been reported as genetic risk factors for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We examined the association of commonly observed UCP2 G(−866)A (rs659366) and Ala55Val (C > T) (rs660339) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with obesity, high fasting plasma glucose, and serum lipids in a Balinese population.MethodsA total of 603 participants (278 urban and 325 rural subjects) were recruited from Bali Island, Indonesia. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) were measured. Obesity was determined based on WHO classifications for adult Asians. Participants were genotyped for G(−866)A and Ala55Val polymorphisms of the UCP2 gene.ResultsObesity prevalence was higher in urban subjects (51%) as compared to rural subjects (23%). The genotype, minor allele (MAF), and heterozygosity frequencies were similar between urban and rural subjects for both SNPs. All genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. A combined analysis of genotypes and environment revealed that the urban subjects carrying the A/A genotype of the G(−866)A SNP have higher BMI than the rural subjects with the same genotype. Since the two SNPs showed strong linkage disequilibrium (D’ = 0.946, r2 = 0.657), a haplotype analysis was performed. We found that the AT haplotype was associated with high BMI only when the urban environment was taken into account.ConclusionsWe have demonstrated the importance of environmental settings in studying the influence of the common UCP2 gene polymorphisms in the development of obesity in a Balinese population.

Obesity prevalence is increasing worldwide, including in the Bali Province, Indonesia, a popular tourism destination area. The common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs9939609 and rs1421085 of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene have been repeatedly reported as one of the important obesity genetic risk factors. We have examined the associations of FTO rs9939609 and rs1421085 SNPs with obesity in the 612 unrelated Balinese subjects living in urban and rural areas. Linear and logistic regression analyses with adjustment for age and gender were employed to investigate the association between FTO genotypes, haplotypes and obesity parameters. We found that the FTO SNPs genotypes increased BMI by 1.25 kg/m2 (p = 0.012) for rs9939609 AA and 1.12 kg/m2 (p = 0.022) for rs1421085 CC, particularly in females and in rural population. Subjects carrying these genotypes also showed a tendency to maintain high BMI, regardless of their age. Our result showed that the FTO rs9939609 and rs1421085 risk alleles were associated with increased BMI and obesity in the Balinese.

No abstract

Objective Recent studies showed that genetic polymorphisms in the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) were associated with obesity and dietary intake. In this study of 71 adults in Jakarta, Indonesia, we investigated FTO rs1421085 association with body mass index (BMI), macronutrient intake, and fatty acid intake. The association was evaluated using linear regression analyses assuming co-dominant, dominant, recessive, over-dominant, and additive genetic models. Results Only individuals with the CC genotype had a considerably higher BMI (p < 0.001), which indicates a recessive genetic trait, but the incidence for this genotype is low (68 TT + TC vs. 3 CC). Individuals with the minor C allele had an estimated increase of fat intake by 3.45–4.06% across various genetic models (dominant: p < 0.010, over-dominant: p < 0.030, additive: p < 0.010). Subjects with TC/CC genotypes had increased dietary monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA; 1.14%, p = 0.046) and saturated fatty acid (SAFA; 2.06%, p = 0.023) intakes, compared to those with the TT genotype. In conclusion, our study provided evidence for the association between FTO rs1421085 risk allele with higher BMI and individual preferences for consuming more fat, MUFA, and SAFA. This study highlights the important role of FTO gene in food preference, and its influence on body weight.

Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) protein plays an important role in glucose and lipid metabolisms. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TCF7L2 gene contribute to increased fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and body mass index (BMI), and altered lipid concentrations in various population. We investigated whether the TCF7L2 SNPs were associated with obesity, high FPG and altered lipid profile in the Balinese. A total of 608 Balinese from rural and urban Bali, Indonesia, were recruited. Triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and FPG were measured, and BMI was calculated. Ratios of TG/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, and TC/HDL-C were determined. Genotyping of SNPs rs7903146, rs10885406, and rs12255372 were done in all samples. Genetic association analyses under a dominant model showed that the rs7903146 (OR 5.50, 95% CI 2.34-12.91, p = 8.5 × 10), rs12255372 (OR 4.15, 95% CI 1.66-10.33, p = 0.003) and rs10885406 (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.39-4.25, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with high TC/HDL-C ratio. The rs10885406 also presented a significant association with high TG (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.29-3.81, p = 0.004) and low HDL-C (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.58-5.80, p = 0.001) concentrations, as well as high TG/HDL-C ratio (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.16-3.27, p = 0.013). None of the SNPs exhibited significant association with obesity or high FPG. SNPs in the TCF7L2 gene are associated with altered lipid profile in the Balinese.

No abstract

Background: Human living conditions, such as food availability and the built environment, contribute to environmental forces that influence gut microbiota composition. Understanding the impact of the environment on microbiota assembly and its association with human health has multiple potential applications. Indonesia is a densely populated country that has been undergoing a dramatic societal change for the past two decades. It is distinctive in that it occupies an archipelago that imposes diverse geographic and cultural boundaries. The relationship between diet, microbiota, and health is poorly known in Indonesians and represents a natural study for the interaction between ethnogeographic factors and nutrition in microbiota assembly. Results: Here we show the first comprehensive report of the gut microbiota in adults from Bali, Indonesia (n=41). Their microbiotas clustered into two distinct community types: a Prevotella-rich (Type-P) and a Bacteroides-rich (Type-B) community. The Type-P individuals had lower alpha diversity (p <0.001, Shannon) and more incidence of obesity. The two community types are significantly different in their inter-genus co-abundance pattern (p <0.001, ANOSIM, Wilcoxon test). Further analyses with diet and obesity data showed that the presence of two distinct community types in Bali is a significant confounder for identifying health markers. In a multi-country dataset (n=257), the Bali microbiota indicates a transitional state from a subsistent (Prevotella-dominant) to industrial (Bacteroides-dominant) society. The two largest axes in a Principal Coordinate Analysis of weighted UniFrac distance explained the majority of variance between samples across countries (49.1%). Microbial dissimilarity across populations is significantly associated with Prevotella and Bacteriodes abundance (p <0.001, Generalized Additive Model). Conclusion: Our data showed that lifestyle transitions have a strong influence on the frequency of microbiota community types in a population. The Bali microbiota is undergoing a shift towards a Bacteroides-dominant community which reflects the ongoing transition of nutrition, socio-economy, and lifestyle the society. Although enterotypes obscured the detection of health markers, our findings collectively suggest that enterotypes may be useful in future studies for informing population-level stratification in large heterogenetic datasets.

Pathogens found within local environments are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This is particularly true in Indonesia, where infectious diseases such as malaria or dengue are a significant part of the disease burden within the country. One way to strengthen the control of infectious diseases is through better surveillance, however unequal investment in medical funding throughout Indonesia, particularly in rural areas, has resulted in under-reporting of cases. Here, we use transcriptome data from 117 healthy individuals living on the islands of Mentawai, Sumba, and the Indonesian side of New Guinea Island to explore which pathogens are present within whole blood. We are able to detect a broad range of taxa within RNA-sequencing data generated from whole blood, including bacteria, viruses, archaea, and eukaryotes. Using independent component analysis, we find that two of these pathogens—Flaviviridae and Plasmodium—have the most noticeable effects on expression profiles. We also identify specific genes linked with Plasmodium and Flavivirus abundance and find that both of these infections are most pronounced in the easternmost island within our Indonesian dataset. This study provides a framework for novel applications of RNA-seq as surveillance and a better understanding of environmental contributors affecting gene expression within Indonesia.