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Published on: November 15, 2024
Chronic beryllium disease and glutathione biosynthesis genes
Lynn M Bekris1, Hannah-Malia A Viernes, Federico M Farin
1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
Objective:
Because glutathione (GSH) has been reported to be increased in chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and is associated with immune modulation, associations between CBD and gene polymorphisms of the rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis, glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), were investigated. Glutamate cysteine ligase consists of a catalytic subunit (GCLC) and modifier subunit (GCLM).
Methods:
Patients with CBD, beryllium-sensitized subjects (BeS), and beryllium-exposed subjects without CBD were genotyped for the GCLC GAG trinucleotide repeat polymorphism (GCLC TNR), the GCLC-129 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and the GCLM-588 SNP.
Results:
Results indicate that GCLC TNR genotype 7/7 is negatively associated with CBD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.08-0.95) and the GCLM-588 C/C SNP genotype is associated with CBD susceptibility (OR = 3.07, 95% CI = 1.00-9.37). No differences were noted in the BeS group.
Conclusions:
This study suggests that GSH modulation may play a role in CBD pathogenesis, but not in sensitization to beryllium.
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