Associations of VDR gene polymorphisms with risk of coal workers' pneumoconiosis in Chinese Han population

Genetic susceptibility in pneumoconiosis in China: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Pneumoconiosis, encompassing coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), silicosis and asbestosis, is one of the most common occupational diseases in China. Previous studies revealed significant associations between genetic variations and pneumoconiosis risk among individuals in different countries. With the known variability of genetic makeup between ethnicities, susceptibility to pneumoconiosis due to genetic differences is likely to be ethnicity-specific. The present review aimed at providing a comprehensive overview on the association between genetic polymorphisms and susceptibility of pneumoconiosis, specifically among people in China.

METHODS

The literature search was performed in seven English and Chinese databases using keywords related to the review aim. An appraisal of the methodological quality of the included studies was conducted using the assessment tool derived from the Strengthening the Reporting of Genetic Association Studies (STREGA) statement.

RESULTS

Forty-five studies were included in this review. Genotypes of specific genes which are associated with the risk of CWP, silicosis and asbestosis were reported. Our findings showed that genes encoding inflammatory cytokines have been examined extensively, and they demonstrated an association between these genes and pneumoconiosis risk. Gene-environment interactions in pneumoconiosis susceptibility were also reported by a number of studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This review summarised the evidence demonstrating the association between genetic polymorphisms and pneumoconiosis susceptibility among people in China, and that various genotypes could modify their risk to develop pneumoconiosis. The findings prompt that identification of individuals at high pneumoconiosis risk through genetic screening and strategies limiting their exposure to dust could be a potential strategy for the control of this occupational disease in China.

Associations of SMAD4 rs10502913 and NLRP3 rs1539019 Polymorphisms with Risk of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis Susceptibility in Chinese Han Population

Purpose

CWP is an untreatable but preventable fibrotic lung disease caused by the chronic inhalation of coal dust. Genetic factors such as polymorphisms play an important role in the development of CWP. The present study investigated the association between the polymorphisms of SMAD4 and NLRP3 and CWP risk in a Chinese Han population.

Patients and Methods

SMAD4 rs10502913 and NLRP3rs1539019 polymorphisms were examined in 292 CWP subjects and 315 coal dust-exposed controls. The genotypes were analyzed using direct sequencing. The allele and genotype proportion between the cases and controls were compared using the chi-square test.

Results

The AG and GG genotypes of SMAD4 rs10502913 were not associated with altered CWP risk compared with AA genotype (adjusted OR = 1.535 and 1.426, 95% CI = 0.785–3.000 and 0.732–2.781, p = 0.210 and 0.297, respectively). Also, the NLRP3 rs1539019 heterozygous and homozygous variants CA and CC genotypes were not associated with the risk of CWP compared with the AA genotype (adjusted OR = 0.985 and 1.127, 95% CI = 0.652–1.489 and 0.713–1.782, p = 0.944 and 0.608, respectively). In addition, there was no interaction between SMAD4 rs10502913 and NLRP3 rs1539019 genotypes and smoking status on CWP risk in the stratified analyses.

Conclusion

In this present study, SMAD4 rs10502913 and NLRP3 rs1539019 genotypes were not associated with altered CWP risk in the Chinese Han population. Large sample sizes and multicenter studies are needed to elucidate these results in the future.

Association between the IL-6 polymorphisms and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis in a Chinese Hui population

Objective

To determine whether polymorphisms in IL-6 and IL-12 contribute to the etiology of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) in a Chinese Hui population, and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) in the treatment of CWP.

Introduction

Genes and the environments interplay in the development of CWP, and the association between the potential functional polymorphisms in many genes and CWP have been reported.

Methods

We genotyped the IL-6-634C/G (rs1800796) and IL-12B-1188A/C (rs3212227) polymorphisms in a case-control study including 160 CWP patients and 150 dust-exposed control subjects of Chinese Hui population, and analyzed the associations between these genetic variants and CWP risk. We also evaluated the efficacy and safety of HFOV for whole lung lavage (WLL) in the treatment of CWP.

Results

Carrying the C allele of IL-6-634C/G (rs1800796) was associated with decreased risk of CWP ( p < 0.05). No significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies of IL-12B-1188A/C was found between the CWP cases and control subjects ( p > 0.05). Compared with CWP patients with routine WLL, CWP patients received HFOV showed better pulmonary functions. HFOV treatment also yield a significant higher efficient rate (97.50%) than WLL treatment (81.25%, p = 0.001). CWP patients receiving HFOV and WLL treatment both showed significantly increased serum contents of Clara cell protein 16 (CC16) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and decreased serum contents of serum malonaldehyde (MDA). While the increasing of CC16 and SOD, and decreasing of MDA in patients receiving HFOV was more noticeable than patients receiving WLL.

Conclusions

Taking together, the −634C/G polymorphisms in IL-6 play a role in the etiology of CWP. HFOV, when applied in CWP patients, significant improves their pulmonary functions.