Associations of Metabolic Genes ( GSTT1, GSTP1, GSTM1 ) and Blood Mercury Concentrations Differ in Jamaican Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mohammad H. Rahbar, Maureen Samms-Vaughan, Sepideh Saroukhani, Jan Bressler, Manouchehr Hessabi, Megan L. Grove, Sydonnie Shakspeare-Pellington, Katherine A. Loveland, Compton Beecher and Wayne McLaughlin
Additional contact information
Mohammad H. Rahbar: Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences (EHGES), School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Maureen Samms-Vaughan: Department of Child & Adolescent Health, Mona Campus, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Kingston 7, Jamaica
Sepideh Saroukhani: Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences (EHGES), School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Jan Bressler: Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences (EHGES), School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Manouchehr Hessabi: Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design (BERD) Component, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS), The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Megan L. Grove: Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences (EHGES), School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Sydonnie Shakspeare-Pellington: Department of Child & Adolescent Health, Mona Campus, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Kingston 7, Jamaica
Katherine A. Loveland: Louis A Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
Compton Beecher: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Mona Campus, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Wayne McLaughlin: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Mona Campus, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: We investigated interactive roles of three metabolic glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes ( GSTP1 , GSTT1 , and GSTM1 ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) status in relation to blood Hg concentrations (BHC) of Jamaican children. We used data from 266 children (2-8 years) with ASD and their 1:1 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) controls. After adjusting General Linear Models for child’s age, socioeconomic status, consumption of leafy vegetables, fried plantain, canned fish, and the interaction between GSTP1 and GSTT1 , we found significant interactions between GSTP1 and ASD status in relation to BHC either in a co-dominant or dominant genetic model for GSTP1 ( P < 0.001, P = 0.007, respectively). In the co-dominant model for the Ile105Val GSTP1 polymorphism, geometric mean (GM) BHC in ASD cases with genotype Ile/Ile were significantly higher than in cases with the Ile/Val genotype (0.73 vs. 0.48 µg/L, P = 0.01). In contrast, in TD controls with the Ile/Val genotype GM BHC were significantly higher than in those with the Ile/Ile genotype (0.72 vs. 0.49 µg/L, P = 0.03) or the Val/Val genotype (0.72 vs. 0.51 µg/L, P = 0.04). Although our findings are consistent with the role of GSTP1 in detoxification of Hg, replication in other populations is warranted.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder (ASD); blood mercury concentrations; glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes; seafood consumption; interaction; Jamaica (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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