title: The effect of the hemochromatosis (HFE) genotype on lead load and iron metabolism among lead smelter workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Both an excess of toxic lead (Pb) and an essential iron disorder have been implicated in many diseases and public health problems. Iron metabolism genes, such as the hemochromatosis (HFE) gene, have been reported to be modifiers for lead absorption and storage. However, the HFE gene studies among the Asian population with occupationally high lead exposure are lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the modifying effects of the HFE genotype (wild-type, H63D variant and C282Y variant) on the Pb load and iron metabolism among Asian Pb-workers with high occupational exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven hundred and seventy-one employees from a lead smelter manufacturing company were tested to determine their Pb intoxication parameters, iron metabolic indexes and identify the HFE genotype. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five H63D variant carriers and no C282Y variant carrier were found among the 771 subjects. Compared with subjects with the wild-type genotype, H63D variant carriers had higher blood lead levels, even after controlling for factors such as age, sex, marriage, education, smoking and lead exposure levels. Multivariate analyses also showed that the H63D genotype modifies the associations between the blood lead levels and the body iron burden/transferrin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No C282Y variant was found in this Asian population. The H63D genotype modified the association between the lead and iron metabolism such that increased blood lead is associated with a higher body iron content or a lower transferrin in the H63D variant. It is indicated that H63D variant carriers may be a potentially highly vulnerable sub-population if they are exposed to high lead levels occupationally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guangqin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guihua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of clinical laboratory, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Gannan Medicine University, Ganzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of clinical laboratory, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ziyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Nevada Center for Health Statistics and Informatics, School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Gaochun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanshu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fankun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D017354:Point Mutation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C103673:HFE protein, human; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D007854:Lead; D007501:Iron