Lack of association between antioxidant gene polymorphisms and progressive massive fibrosis in coal miners.
BACKGROUND
Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung diseases. The antioxidant enzymes glutathione S-transferases (GST) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) are important components of lung defence against oxidative stress, and polymorphisms in the genes which regulate their expression may represent important disease modifiers.


METHODS
A matched case-control study was conducted to determine the influence of the GSTP1, GSTT1 and MnSOD polymorphisms on susceptibility to progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Seven hundred ex-coal miners were included in the study; 350 were classified as PMF cases while 350 with a similar underground mining tenure but no clinical or histological evidence of lung disease served as controls. Genotype analysis was performed on genomic DNA, using a 5' nuclease PCR assay.


RESULTS
None of the individual investigated polymorphisms and two-way gene-gene interactions had a statistically significant association with PMF.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that polymorphic genotypes within the GST gene cluster and MnSOD do not affect individual susceptibility to PMF.
Yucesoy
B
B
Toxicology and Molecular Biology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, West Virginia 26505-2888, USA. yab7@cdc.gov
Johnson
V J
VJ
Kashon
M L
ML
Fluharty
K
K
Vallyathan
V
V
Luster
M I
MI
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003032:Coal Mining; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics*
D000975:Antioxidants; D007527:Isoenzymes; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C413545:glutathione S-transferase T1; C496556:GSTP1 protein, human; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi; D005982:Glutathione Transferase