Polymorphisms in SPARC and coal workers' pneumoconiosis risk in a Chinese population.

Ting Wang,Lei Han,Jingjing Fan,Chen Luo,Ruhui Han,Baiqun Wu,Chunhui Ni,Xiaoming Ji,Jingjin Yang,Baoli Zhu,Joseph Devaney

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105226

Abstract

BackgroundThe SPARC is a crucial matricellular protein and may influence the course of various diseases like tumor metastasis and fibrosis. In the present study, we investigated the association between the potential functional polymorphisms in SPARC and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) risk in a Chinese population.MethodsFive potentially functional polymorphisms (rs1059279, rs1059829, rs1053411, rs2304052 and rs4958281) in SPARC were genotyped and analyzed in a case-control study including 697 CWP cases and 694 controls. The genotyping was used by the TaqMan method with the ABI 7900HT Real Time PCR system.ResultsOur results revealed that three SNPs (rs1059279, rs1059829, rs1053411) were significantly associated with increased risk of CWP under an additive model (OR = 1.35, 95%CI = 1.06–1.71, P = 0.015 for rs1059279; OR = 1.20, 95%CI = 1.03–1.39, P = 0.021 for rs1059829; OR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.03–1.65, P = 0.025 for rs1053411). In the stratification analysis, significant associations were observed between each of these three SNPs and patients with 0–20 pack-years of smoking (OR = 1.73, 95%CI = 1.21–2.45 for rs1059279; OR = 1.48, 95%CI = 1.07–2.05 for rs105982; OR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.13–2.22 for rs1053411). Furthermore, the association between rs1059279 and CWP risk remained significant among subjects with over 27 years of exposure (OR = 1.27, 95%CI = 1.03–1.56, P = 0.023). In the combined analysis of these five polymorphisms, individuals with multiple risk alleles had a higher risk of CWP (Ptrend = 0.015).ConclusionOur results indicate that three functional SPARC SNPs are associated with an increased risk of CWP in a Chinese population. Further functional research and validation studies with diverse populations are warranted to confirm our findings.

Highlights

Coal Workers’Pneumoconiosis (CWP) is a serious occupational disease derived from inhalation and deposition of occupational coal mine dust and/or silica particulates in the lungs
The exposure may lead to the aberrant proliferation of activated fibroblasts, pathological remodeling, and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in lung tissues [1,2]
No significant differences were observed for age (P = 0.103), exposure years (P = 0.105), or occupation (P = 0.534) between coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients and controls

Summary

Introduction

Coal Workers’Pneumoconiosis (CWP) is a serious occupational disease derived from inhalation and deposition of occupational coal mine dust and/or silica particulates in the lungs. In China, 87.72% of the reported occupational cases were attributed to pneumoconiosis in 2013, of which CWP (60.28%) and silicosis (34.96%) accounted for the majority [3]. The incidence and progression of CWP are related to both dust exposure levels and silica content in the dust [4]. Only a portion of individuals exposed to coal dust or silica develop CWP in their lifetime, suggesting that genetic susceptibility factors play a role in the development of CWP [5]. We investigated the association between the potential functional polymorphisms in SPARC and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) risk in a Chinese population

Methods

Results

Conclusion