Heavy Metals as Risk Factors for Human Diseases - A Bayesian Network Approach

Modern industrial agricultural processes expose human beings to multifactorial environmental pollution including heightened levels of heavy metals. The effects of acute heavy metal exposures at toxic levels are usually known; they are tested for and treated promptly. The effects of low/moderate-level chronic heavy metal exposures are less known as they may be subclinical, and pathogenic effects may only manifest clinically over time under the disguise of a diagnosable disease or miscellaneous symptoms attributed to aging. Consequently, the health impact of low-moderate heavy metal exposure is unlikely to be identified. Furthermore, established heavy metal safety levels often fail to recognize the potential toxic effects on humans. We report in this review what is known about the sub-chronic and chronic effects of exposure to heavy metals, particularly lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and nickel, and we highlight their possible effects in the brain, cardiovascular and endocrine-metabolic systems, and on reproduction

Novel TCF7L2 familial linkage and association with Type 2 diabetes, depression, and their comorbidity

OBJECTIVE: Alterations in the activity of the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) generate defects previously associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. We investigated the role of the TCF7L2 gene in major depressive disorder (MDD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and MDD-T2D comorbidity. We tested whether TCF7L2 is in linkage to and/or in linkage disequilibrium (LD, namely association) with MDD, T2D, and MDD-T2D. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 212 families with T2D and MDD in the Italian population, we analyzed 80 microarray-based SNPs using Pseudomarker software for linkage to and LD with T2D and MDD under the recessive model with complete penetrance (R1). In a secondary analysis, we tested the variants under the dominant models with complete penetrance (D1), recessive with incomplete penetrance (R2), and recessive with incomplete penetrance (R2). RESULTS: We found several novel linkage signals and genetic associations. In addition, we found two new transcription-factor (TF) binding sites created by two risk variants found: the MDD-risk variant rs12255179 creates a new TF-binding site for the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), and the T2D-risk variant rs61872794 creates a new TF-binding site for the organic cation-uptake transporter (OCT1). Both new binding sites are related to insulin metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the cross-interactivity between T2D and MDD. Further replication is needed in diverse ethnic groups

Population Genetics of CAPN10 and GPR35: Implications for the Evolution of Type 2 Diabetes Variants

A positional cloning study of type 2 diabetes in Mexican Americans identified a region, termed “NIDDM1,” on chromosome 2q37 with significant linkage evidence. Haplotype combinations at the calpain-10 gene (CAPN10) within this region were shown to increase diabetes risk in several populations. On the basis of the thrifty genotype hypothesis, variants that increase susceptibility to type 2 diabetes under modern lifestyle conditions provided a survival advantage in past environments by increasing the efficiency of energy use and storage. Here, our goal is to make inferences about the evolutionary forces shaping variation in genes in the NIDDM1 region and to investigate the population genetics models that may underlie the thrifty genotype hypothesis. To this end, we surveyed sequence variation in CAPN10 and in an adjacent gene, G-protein–coupled receptor 35 (GPR35), in four population samples from different ethnic groups. These data revealed two distinct deviations from the standard neutral model in CAPN10, whereas GPR35 variation was largely consistent with neutrality. CAPN10 showed a significant deficit of variation in the haplotype class defined by the derived allele at SNP44, a polymorphism that is significantly associated with diabetes in meta-analysis studies. This suggests that this haplotype class was quickly driven to high frequency by positive natural selection. Interestingly, the derived allele at SNP44 is protective against diabetes. CAPN10 also showed a local excess of polymorphism and linkage disequilibrium decay in intron 13. Simulations show that this pattern may be explained by long-standing balancing selection that maintains multiple selected alleles. Alternatively, it is possible that the local mutation and recombination rates changed since the divergence of human and chimpanzee; this scenario does not require the action of natural selection on intron 13 variation

Haplotype association of calpain 10 gene variants with type 2 diabetes mellitus in an Irish sample

Background: Calpain 10 (CAPN10) gene may contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aim: To examine the contribution of four CAPN10 gene variants to T2DM risk in an Irish sample. Methods: Genotyping of marker 19 insertion-deletion (ins/del) and three CAPN10 variants, rs3792267, rs3749166 and rs5030952 at the CAPN10 gene was performed in 236 T2DM subjects and 120 controls. Allelic, genotypic and haplotype comparisons were conducted between the groups. Results: In the examined markers, no significant differences were observed although the deletion/deletion allele tended to be more common in T2DM subjects (χ = 3.2, P = 0.07). A significant overrepresentation of a haplotype comprising (rs3792267), (19) and rs3749166 (χ = 5.3, P = 0.021) was seen in T2DM subjects. Two protective haplotypes were detected: (G-ins-G) of (rs3792267), (19) and rs3749166 (χ = 6.7, P = 0.009) and (ins-G-C) of (19), (rs3749166) and rs5030952 (χ = 8.5, P = 0.003). Conclusions: CAPN10 gene variants may affect T2DM susceptibility in the Irish population

Association of the calpain-10 gene with type 2 diabetes in Europeans: Results of pooled and meta-analyses

We conducted pooled and meta-analyses of the association of the calpain-10 gene (CAPN10) polymorphisms SNP-43, Indel-19 and SNP-63 individually and as haplotypes with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in 3237 patients and 2935 controls of European ancestry. In the pooled analyses, the common SNP-43*G allele was associated with modest but statistically significant increased risk of T2D (odds ratio (OR) = 1.11 (95% confidence interval (0), 1.02-1.20), P = 0.01). Two haplotype combinations were associated with increased risk of T2D) (1-2-1/1-2-1, OR = 1.20 (1.03-1.41), P = 0.02; and 1-1-2/1-2-1, OR = 1.26 (1.01-1.59), P = 0.04) and one with decreased risk (1-1-1/2-2-1, OR = 0.86 (0.75-0.99), P = 0.03). The meta-analysis also showed a significant effect of the 1-2-1/1-2-1 haplogenotype on risk (OR = 1.25 (1.05-1.50), P = 0.01). However, there was evidence for heterogeneity with respect to this effect (P = 0.06). The heterogeneity appeared to be due to data sets in which the cases were selected from samples used in linkage studies of T2D. Using only the population-based case-control samples removed the heterogeneity (P = 0.89) and strengthened the evidence for association with T2D) in both the pooled (SNP-43*G, OR = 1.19 (1.07-1.32), P = 0.001; 1-2-1/1-2-1 haplogenotype, OR = 1.46 (1.19-1.78), P = 0.0003; 1-1-2/1-2-1 haplogenotype, OR = 1.52 (1.12-2.06), P = 0.007; and 1-1-1/2-2-1 haplogenotype, OR = 0.83 (0.70-0.99), P = 0.03) and the meta-analysis (SNP-43*G, OR = 1.18 (1.05-1.32), P = 0.005; 1-2-1/1-2-1 haplogenotype, OR = 1.68 (1.33-2.11), P = 0.00001). The pooled and meta-analyses as well as the linkage disequilibrium and haplotype diversity studies suggest a role for genetic variation in CAPN10 affecting risk of T2D in Europeans. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Analysis of genomic diversity in Mexican Mestizo populations to develop genomic medicine in Mexico

Mexico is developing the basis for genomic medicine to improve healthcare of its population. The extensive study of genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium structure of different populations has made it possible to develop tagging and imputation strategies to comprehensively analyze common genetic variation in association studies of complex diseases. We assessed the benefit of a Mexican haplotype map to improve identification of genes related to common diseases in the Mexican population. We evaluated genetic diversity, linkage disequilibrium patterns, and extent of haplotype sharing using genomewide data from Mexican Mestizos from regions with different histories of admixture and particular population dynamics. Ancestry was evaluated by including 1 Mexican Amerindian group and data from the HapMap. Our results provide evidence of genetic differences between Mexican subpopulations that should be considered in the design and analysis of association studies of complex diseases. In addition, these results support the notion that a haplotype map of the Mexican Mestizo population can reduce the number of tag SNPs required to characterize common genetic variation in this population. This is one of the first genomewide genotyping efforts of a recently admixed population in Latin America