Genetic susceptibility poisoning

Wetmur JG, Kaya AH, Plewinska M, Desnick RJ. Molecular characterization of the human aminolaevuli-nate dehydratase 2 (ALAD2) allele implications for molecular screening of individuals for genetic susceptibility to lead poisoning. Am J Hum Gen 1991 49 757-63. 

Onalaja AO and Claudio L (2000) Genetic susceptibility to lead poisoning. Environ Health Per-spect 108 23 - 28. 

Onalaja, Ava O., and Luz Claudio. 2000. Genetic Susceptibility to Lead Poisoning. Environmental Health Perspectives 108 23-28. 

Research on the victims of the poisoning also found that they were more likely to have a deficiency in an enzyme, N-acetyltransferase, than those who did not suffer the effects. This enzyme detoxifies aniline and similar chemicals. There is a known genetic variation in the ability to acetylate in the human population, with about half the European population showing a relative deficiency in this enzyme (see pp. 29-31,70, for more on this). Such individuals, known as slow acetylators, would be less able to detoxify the aniline. This could account for the variability in susceptibility, whereby some individuals consumed contaminated oil but did not suffer toxic effects. ... 

Certain genetic, medical, or nutritional conditions render a person susceptible to lead poisoning (Table 8-3). A genetic indicator of susceptibility may be polymorphism of the enzyme 8-aminolevulinic acid de-... 

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