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Use of Genetic Algorithm Combinational Single-nucleotide Polymorphisms Could Modify the Association of Blood Lead
Chien-Juan Chen1, Hsueh-Wei Chang, Cheng-Hong Yang
1From the aGraduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China; bFaculty of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, College of Life Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China; cDepartment of Electronic Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China; dDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China; eDepartment of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China; fDepartment of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, College of Medicine and Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China; and gNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Background:
Previous studies have not explored the relationship between a single gene and a single disease. Our study aims to investigate the association of multiple genotypes with blood lead levels and bone matrix density (BMD) by using genetic algorithms.
Methods:
Our research focused on 506 employees (245 males and 261 females) of a lead battery factory in Taiwan. We collected data on their BMD, blood lead level, and 6 SNPs (ACE, alpha-adducin, Bsm, Tag, Apa, and ALAD); these factors were analyzed using discrete binary particle swarm optimization (DBPSO) and logistic regression analysis.
Results:
We found no association between blood lead level and bone density, which may be due to the relatively young age of this population (mean age = 45.1 years). However, the genotype that contained both Bsm type bb and ALAD type 1-1 may play an important role in protecting against lower bone density among these employees.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, this study found that the Bsm and ALAD genes influence bone density among lead workers. However, the mechanism and exact relationship between these two genes and bone density require further investigation.