Abstract
Although recent data suggest aristolochic acid as a putative cause of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), evidence also exists in favor of ochratoxin A (OTA) exposure as risk factor for the disease. The potential role of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, such as the glutathione transferases (GSTs), in OTA biotransformation is based on OTA glutathione adducts (OTHQ-SG and OTB-SG) in blood and urine of BEN patients. We aimed to analyze the association between common GSTA1, GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 polymorphisms and BEN susceptibility, and thereafter performed an in silico simulation of particular GST enzymes potentially involved in OTA transformations. GSTA1, GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 genotypes were determined in 207 BEN patients and 138 non-BEN healthy individuals from endemic regions by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Molecular modeling in silico was performed for GSTA1 protein. Among the GST polymorphisms tested, only GSTA1 was significantly associated with a higher risk of BEN. Namely, carriers of the GSTA1*B gene variant, associated with lower transcriptional activation, were at a 1.6-fold higher BEN risk than those carrying the homozygous GSTA1*A/*A genotype (OR = 1.6; p = 0.037). In in silico modeling, we found four structures, two OTB-SG and two OTHQ-SG, bound in a GSTA1 monomer. We found that GSTA1 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BEN, and suggested, according to the in silico simulation, that GSTA1-1 might be involved in catalyzing the formation of OTHQ-SG and OTB-SG conjugates.
Highlights
Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a chronic tubulointerstitial kidney disease
The identification of enzymes principally involved in the metabolism of ochratoxin A (OTA) in humans and detailed knowledge of their catalytic specificities is of major importance
We found that GSTA1 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BEN, and examined in silico the capabilities of GSTA1 for acceptance of large substrates like OTHQ and reactive OTA
Summary
Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a chronic tubulointerstitial kidney disease. This nephropathy is recognized as endemic in certain rural areas of Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania [1].There is an ongoing discussion in the literature whether aristolochic acid (AA) or ochratoxin A (OTA)adducts OTA-dG and OTA-O-3'-dGMP (Chart 2) in BEN patients from Serbia, Croatia, and Bulgaria [2,3], as well as in Bulgarian farmer suffering from BEN and upper urinary tract tumors [3].One of the common features of BEN is that not all individuals exposed to OTA suffer from nephropathy and cancer [4], suggesting individual susceptibility as a risk factor. Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a chronic tubulointerstitial kidney disease. This nephropathy is recognized as endemic in certain rural areas of Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania [1]. One of the common features of BEN is that not all individuals exposed to OTA suffer from nephropathy and cancer [4], suggesting individual susceptibility as a risk factor. Many genes of enzymes metabolizing xenobiotics are known to exist in variant forms of polymorphisms and appear to be important determinants of risk of diseases [5]. The identification of enzymes principally involved in the metabolism (i.e., activation and/or detoxification) of OTA in humans and detailed knowledge of their catalytic specificities is of major importance
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