Polymorphism of the PPARD Gene and Dynamic Balance Performance in Han Chinese Children

Athletic performances are complex traits with heritability of ~66%. Dynamic balance is one of the most important athletic performances, and there has been little studies for it in sports genomics. The candidate PPARD gene was reported to be able to affect muscle development for balance predisposition and influence the athletic performance including skiing triumph in the Caucasian population. This study aims to investigate whether the PPARD gene is a susceptibility gene for dynamic balance performance in Han Chinese children.

A total 2244 children were recruited and their balance beam performances were measured. Five polymorphisms in the PPARD gene were genotyped through the MassARRAY Sequenom platform. Rs2016520 exerted significant association with dynamic balance performance (minor allele C, P = 0.015, P_corrected < 0.05) and was affirmed in a meta-analysis by combining previously reported Caucasian cohorts (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = [1.30, 1.91], P < 10 ^-5) . Another polymorphism, rs2267668, was also significantly associated with dynamic balance performance (minor allele G, P = 0.015, P_corrected < 0.05). In the dichotomous study, 321 cases (61% boys and 39% girls) and 370 controls (49% boys and 51% girls) in our samples were selected as representatives, and the thresholds were the mean velocity (0.737 m/s) ± standard deviation (0.264 m/s), in which rs2016520-C and rs2267668-G still remained significant (CI =1.41 [1.11~1.79], P = 0.004, P_corrected < 0.016; CI =1.45 [1.14~1.86], P = 0.002, P_corrected < 0.016). In different genders, consistent OR direction was observed for each variant.

Our results suggested that the PPARD gene is associated with dynamic balance performance of human being, and further studies to reveal its etiology is strongly suggested.