Association between urinary arsenic concentration and genetic polymorphisms in Korean adults

Arsenic (As) is a human carcinogen widely distributed in the environment. This study evaluated the association between the urinary As concentration and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Korean adults to determine the genetic factors related to As concentration. The study included 496 participants for the genome-wide association study (GWAS) and 1483 participants for the candidate gene approach study. Participants were 19 years and older. The concentrations of total As (Tot As) and total As metabolites (Tmet As, the sum of inorganic As and their metabolites; arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic, and dimethylarsinic acid) in the urine were analyzed. The GWAS identified four SNPs (rs1432523, rs3776006, rs11171747, and rs807573) associated with urinary Tot As and four SNPs (rs117605537, rs3776006, rs11171747, and rs148103384) significantly associated with urinary Tmet As concentration (P < 1 × 10 –4 ). The candidate gene study identified two SNPs ( PRDX2 rs10427027 and GLRX rs3822751) in genes related to the reduction reaction associated with urinary Tot As and Tmet As. This study suggests that genetic factors may play a role in regulating As metabolism in the human body, affecting both exposure levels and its potential health risks in the general Korean population, even at low exposure levels.