Maternal polymorphisms in arsenic (+3 oxidation state)- methyltransferase AS3MT are associated with arsenic metabolism and newborn birth outcomes: Implications of major risk alleles and fetal health outcomes

摘要

Arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) is the key enzyme in the metabolism of inorganic arsenic (iAs). Polymorphisms of AS3MT have been shown to influence adverse effects associated with exposure to iAs in adults, but little is known about its role in iAs metabolism in pregnant women and newborn birth outcomes. The relationship between seven Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) of AS3MT and concentrations of iAs and its methylated arsenic metabolites were assessed in mother-baby pairs of the Biomarkers of Exposure to ARsenic (BEAR) cohort in Gomez Palacio, Mexico. Comparisons of the genotype distributions among women in Argentina and Bangladesh showed that the BEAR cohort has an allelic frequency that more closely resembles the population in Bangladesh. These data highlight that the major allele in the population in Gómez Palacio represents an at-risk allele for arsenic toxicity.