Meta-analysis of genome-wide association data identifies two loci influencing age at menarche

André Uitterlinden and colleagues report loci at 9q31.2 and LIN28B associated with age at menarche from a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies including 17,510 females from eight different population-based cohorts. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association data to detect genes influencing age at menarche in 17,510 women. The strongest signal was at 9q31.2 ( P = 1.7 × 10 −9 ), where the nearest genes include TMEM38B , FKTN , FSD1L , TAL2 and ZNF462 . The next best signal was near the LIN28B gene (rs7759938; P = 7.0 × 10 −9 ), which also influences adult height. We provide the first evidence for common genetic variants influencing female sexual maturation.