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Comment on ‘No major role for glutathione S ‐transferase gene polymorphisms in sensitization to para ‐phenylenediamine and other xenobiotics: a study of association and a meta‐analysis’: reply from authors
Author(s) -
Pot L.M.,
Alizadeh B.Z.,
Ahrenberg D.,
Coenraads P.J.,
Snieder H.,
Blömeke B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10406.x
Subject(s) - epidemiology , medicine , library science , pathology , computer science
MADAM, The correspondence of Pot and colleagues ‘No major role for glutathione S-transferase gene polymorphisms in sensitization to para-phenylenediamine and other xenobiotics: a study of association and a meta-analysis’ may leave the impression that we had argued that glutathione S-transferase (GST) polymorphisms may be generally associated with contact allergy. In fact, we investigated GST polymorphisms in sensitization to mercury-containing compounds such as thiomersal (thimerosal), as thiomersal is exclusively detoxified via glutathione conjugation. We therefore compared thiomersalsensitized individuals with healthy controls and individuals who were sensitized toward para-phenylenediamine. We found that GSTM1 confers a protective effect towards thiomersal and an additive effect concerning GSTT1. We observed no association in the case of para-phenylenediamine sensitization. The latter is consistent with the notion that the compound is not predominantly detoxified via the GST conjugation. We concluded that ‘Patients sensitized to thiomersal exhibited GSTM1-negative genotypes significantly more frequently than the control group. This seems to reveal a substance-specific association and not a general trait of contact allergic patients, as the more frequent occurrence of the GSTM1 deficiency was not seen in contact allergic patients sensitized against para-substituted-aryl compounds. Furthermore the GST allele frequencies in the ‘‘thiomersal-group’’ are not influenced by additional allergies other than phenylmercury or ammoniated mercury chloride. This further supports the concept that the investigation of enzyme polymorphisms may yield allergenspecific genetic markers for increased risk.’ We interpret this substance-specific finding as indirect affirmation of the hapten hypothesis. We hope that this clarification will help to avoid further misunderstandings.