title: Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with Hearing Threshold Shift in Subjects during First Encounter with Occupational Impulse Noise.
abstract: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most significant occupational health issue worldwide. We conducted a genome-wide association study to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with hearing threshold shift in young males undergoing their first encounter with occupational impulse noise. We report a significant association of SNP rs7598759 (p < 5 x 10(-7); p = 0.01 after permutation and correction; Odds Ratio = 12.75) in the gene coding for nucleolin, a multifunctional phosphoprotein involved in the control of senescence and protection against apoptosis. Interestingly, nucleolin has been shown to mediate the anti-apoptotic effect of HSP70, a protein found to prevent ototoxicity and whose polymorphisms have been associated with susceptibility to NIHL. Increase in nucleolin expression has also been associated with the prevention of apoptosis in cells undergoing oxidative stress, a well-known metabolic sequela of noise exposure. To assess the potential role of nucleolin in hearing loss, we tested down-regulation of nucleolin in cochlear sensory cells HEI-OC1 under oxidative stress conditions and report increased sensitivity to cisplatin, a chemotherapeutic drug with ototoxic side effects. Additional SNPs were found with suggestive association (p < 5 x 10(-4)), of which 7 SNPs were located in genes previously reported to be related to NIHL and 43 of them were observed in 36 other genes previously not reported to be associated with NIHL. Taken together, our GWAS data and in vitro studies reported herein suggest that nucleolin is a potential candidate associated with NIHL in this population.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yohann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Grondin
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America.
authors.forename: Magda E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bortoni
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rosalinda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sepulveda
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghelfi
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartos
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cotanche
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., Suite 200, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, CA, 92134, United States of America.
authors.forename: Royce E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rick A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006309:Hearing / Q000235:genetics*; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009623:Noise, Occupational; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D000097796:Nucleolin
chemical_list: D010750:Phosphoproteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D000097796:Nucleolin