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. 2016;71(1):26-34.
doi: 10.1080/19338244.2014.937381. Epub 2014 Aug 19.

Heavy metals, organic solvents, and multiple sclerosis: An exploratory look at gene-environment interactions

Melanie D Napier  1 , Charles Poole  1 , Glen A Satten  2 , Allison Ashley-Koch  3 , Ruth Ann Marrie  4 , Dhelia M Williamson  2
Affiliations

Heavy metals, organic solvents, and multiple sclerosis: An exploratory look at gene-environment interactions

Melanie D Napier et al. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2016.

Abstract

Exposure to heavy metals and organic solvents are potential etiologic factors for multiple sclerosis (MS), but their interaction with MS-associated genes is under-studied. The authors explored the relationship between environmental exposure to lead, mercury, and solvents and 58 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MS-associated genes. Data from a population-based case-control study of 217 prevalent MS cases and 496 age-, race-, gender-, and geographically matched controls were used to fit conditional logistic regression models of the association between the chemical, gene, and MS, adjusting for education and ancestry. MS cases were more likely than controls to report lead (odds ratio [OR] = 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07, 3.86) and mercury exposure (OR = 2.06; 95% CI: 1.08, 3.91). Findings of potential gene-environment interactions between SNPs in TNF-α, TNF-β, TCA-β, VDR, MBP, and APOE, and lead, mercury, or solvents should be considered cautiously due to limited sample size.

Keywords: Autoimmune diseases; case-control; epidemiology; gene-environment interaction; heavy metal exposure; organic solvents; multiple sclerosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Declaration: Dr. Marrie receives research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Manitoba Health Research Council, Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Foundation, Rx & D Health Research Foundation, and has conducted clinical trials funded by Sanofi-Aventis. I and Drs. Poole, Satten, Ashley-Koch, and Williamson have no conflicts of interest regarding the submitted manuscript.

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