Novel Loci for Adiponectin Levels and Their Influence on Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Traits: A Multi-Ethnic Meta-Analysis of 45,891 Individuals

Circulating levels of adiponectin, a hormone produced predominantly
by adipocytes, are highly heritable and are inversely associated
with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and other metabolic traits. We
conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in
39,883 individuals of European ancestry to identify genes
associated with metabolic disease. We identified 8 novel loci
associated with adiponectin levels and confirmed 2 previously
reported loci (P=4.5 x 10(-8)-1.2 x 10(-43)). Using a novel method
to combine data across ethnicities (N = 4,232 African Americans, N
= 1,776 Asians, and N = 29,347 Europeans), we identified two
additional novel loci. Expression analyses of 436 human adipocyte
samples revealed that mRNA levels of 18 genes at candidate regions
were associated with adiponectin concentrations after accounting
for multiple testing (p