Environment, Heredity, and Epidemiology

Abstract

This supplement issue mainly contains researches on environment, hereditary factors and disease susceptibility, and analysis of population epidemiology. With the successful drawing of the first human genome sequence map, it is believed that genetics is one of the factors influencing health. Gene research methods integrate into public health research, which is mainly reflected in the application of genetics research methods and the study on molecular epidemiology. Epidemiology is an important part of preventive medicine. We search for pathogenic factors of related diseases through analysis of gene polymorphism and disease susceptibility and through epidemiological analysis of different diseases in the population, which provides basis for better prevention and control of diseases. In recent years, there are more researches on genetics, especially on gene polymorphism. On the basis of the human genome plan, America launched another Environmental Genome Project in 1998,1 aiming to explore the environment–gene interaction. In the past, pathogenic factors were attributed to complete genetic factors or complete environment factors. In fact, most human diseases result from the interaction between hereditary susceptibility and environmental factors.2,3 With the rapid development of molecular biotechnology and successful implementation of the human genome plan, some genes that produce specific response to environmental factors can influence people’s susceptibility to toxic environmental chemicals. Therefore, the interaction between organism and environment is largely reflected in the interaction of gene and environment. Revealing the gene–environment interaction can not only produce revolutionary influence on medical health, environment health, and so on, but also deepen people’s understanding of the occurrence and development of diseases.4,5 If the same dose of certain toxics in the environment acts on the human body under the same contact condition, the risk of its incidence significantly varies in different individuals. The reason is that the occurrence of diseases is not only related to the level of exposure to the harmful factors in the environment, but it is also closely related to hereditary susceptibility or tolerance. Early discovery of the susceptible population and targeted provision of proper protection measures would achieve better protective effects in the prevention work. Recognition of the environmental factors that cause diseases and of the risk degree of exposure through studies on the different reactions of hereditary susceptibility on environmental factors can directly affect effective disease prevention and public health promotion.6 In brief, the most prominent value of the