Background and objective: A common Leu7Pro polymorphism in the signal peptide of neuropeptide Y has been associated with increased plasma cholesterol and accelerated atherosclerosis in the Finnish population.
Subjects and method: A cross-sectional design was carried out in 1,000 individuals from the Mediterranean Spanish population to estimate its prevalence. Two independently collected samples consisting of 486 subjects (sample 1) and 514 subjects (sample 2) were studied. The Leu7Pro polymorphism was determined.
Results: We found only one individual carrying the Leu7Pro variant (0.1%). The allele frequency of the Pro7 allele was extremely low: 0.005 (95% CI,0.0001-0.0015).
Conclusions: This low prevalence suggests that the Pro7 allele is not one of the genetic determinant factors affecting obesity, plasma lipids or alcoholism in this population.