| Abstrakt | | Asbestosis is among the most frequent diseases caused by asbestos. Although the causal relationship between asbestos exposure and asbestosis has been well proved, Iittle is known about the genetic factors that may influence the development of this disease. The aim of our study that we present as an example of gene-environment interactions is to investigate whether GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, MnSOD, ECSOD, CA T and iNOS genetic polymorphisms represent risk factors for the development of asbestosis in workers occupationally exposed to asbestos and to study the possible interactions between genetic factors and environmental factors (asbestos exposure and smoking). The study included 262 patients with asbestosis and 265 workers from the same environment who did not develop any asbestos-related disease. Data on cumulative asbestos exposure and smoking were available for the entire study population. PCR based methods were used to genotype GSTM1-null, GSTT1- nu1l, GSTP1 lIe105Val and Ala114Val, MnSOD Ala -9Val, ECSOD Arg213Gly, CAT -262C>T and iNOS (CCTTT)n polymorphisms. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between asbestosis and different variables. Asbestosis was associated with the logarithm of cumulative asbestos exposure (OR = 3.21, 95% CI = 2.43-4.23), whereas no association was found for smoking (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.69-1.39). The OR of asbestosis was 1.01 (95% CI = 0.71-1.43) for the GSTM1-null genotype; 0.61 (95% CI 0.40-0.94) for the GSTT1-null genotype; 1.49 (95% CI = 1.06-2.10) for the GSTP1 genotype coding for an enzyme with high conjugation capacity versus genotypes resulting in intermediate or low enzyme activity; 1.50 (95% CI = 1.01-2.24) for the MnSOD -9Ala/Ala genotype versus the combined AlaNal and ValNal genotypes; 1.63 (95% CI = 0.62-4.27) for the ECSOD 213Arg/Gly genotype compared to the Arg/Arg genotype; (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)
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