As3MT polymorphisms and Vitamin D: Effects in arsenic elimination and genotoxic damage in women of Poopó Lake – Bolivia

Abstract

The variability in the metabolic capacity of arsenic elimination has been associated with a large number of factors, such as gender, age, exposure level, ethnicity, nutritional status, the presence of polymorphisms in the AS3MT gene related to methylation of inorganic arsenic (iAs) to its organic monomethylarsenic (MMA) and dimethylarsenic (DMA) forms. In this study arsenic exposure was assess in the communities around Lake Poopó and evaluate the influence of two AS3MT polymorphisms and the concentration of vitamin D on the arsenic elimination metabolism and genetic damage. The results showed a higher frequency of the protective variants of the SNPs of the AS3MT (rs11191439: T = 0.91 and rs3740393: C = 0.93) that are associated with a high methylation capacity of As and less % of genotoxic damage. On the other hand, the median plasma level of Vitamin D was 19.14 ng/mL, women with vitamin D sufficiency status have 2% less MMA, and lower% genetic damage compared to deficit states.