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Polymorphisms in Genes Encoding Potential Mercury Transporters and Urine Mercury Concentrations in Populations Exposed to Mercury Vapor from Gold Mining.
- Source :
-
Environmental Health Perspectives . Jan2013, Vol. 121 Issue 1, p85-91. 7p. 4 Charts. - Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Background: Elemental mercury (Hg0) is widely used in small-scale gold mining. Persons working or living in mining areas have high urinary concentrations of Hg (U-Hg). Differences in genes encoding potential Hg-transporters may affect uptake and elimination of Hg. Objective: We aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Hg-transporter genes that modify U-Hg. Methods: Men and women (1,017) from Indonesia, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe were classified either as controls (no Hg exposure from gold mining) or as having low (living in a gold-mining area) or high exposure (working as gold miners). U-Hg was analyzed by cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Eighteen SNPs in eight Hg-transporter genes were analyzed. Results: U-Hg concentrations were higher among ABCC2/MRP2 rs1885301 A-allele carriers than among GG homozygotes in all populations, though differences were not statistically significant in most cases. MRP2 SNPs showed particularly strong associations with U-Hg in the subgroup with highest exposure (miners in Zimbabwe), whereas rs1885301 A-allele carriers had higher U-Hg than GG homozygotes [geometric mean (GM): 36.4 μg/g creatinine vs. 21.9; p = 0.027], rs2273697 GG homozygotes had higher U-Hg than A-allele carriers (GM: 37.4 vs. 16.7; p = 0.001), and rs717620 A-allele carriers had higher U-Hg than GG homozygotes (GM: 83 vs. 28; p = 0.084). The SLC7A5/LAT1 rs33916661 GG genotype was associated with higher U-Hg in all populations (statistically significant for all Tanzanians combined). SNPs in SLC22A6/OAT1 (rs4149170) and SLC22A8/OAT3 (rs4149182) were associated with U-Hg mainly in the Tanzanian study groups. Conclusions: SNPs in putative Hg-transporter genes may influence U-Hg concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *MERCURY poisoning
*ALLELES
*CHI-squared test
*STATISTICAL correlation
*FISHER exact test
*GENES
*GENETIC polymorphisms
*GOLD
*MERCURY
*MINERAL industries
*MULTIVARIATE analysis
*QUESTIONNAIRES
*RESEARCH funding
*OCCUPATIONAL hazards
*ENVIRONMENTAL exposure
*DATA analysis software
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00916765
- Volume :
- 121
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 87007599
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1204951