Association between pesticide exposure and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) polymorphisms, and neurobehavioural outcomes in children: a systematic review

Environmental factors such as pollution, pesticide exposure and socio-demographic location have been implicated as a pressure capable of altering genetic make-up. Altered genetic sequence of genes encoding enzymes may result in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Of peculiar interest is the genetic variance on the paraoxonase-1 gene induced by pre- and postnatal exposure to pesticides. SNP have been reported on the paraoxonase-1 gene and post-xenobiotic exposure and are presumed to alter gene sequence and ultimately enzymatic activity. The altered enzymatic activity may facilitate neurodevelopment disorders. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are among the neurodevelopment disorders of which prevalence is concurrently associated with increasing environmental xenobiotic exposure. The variance on xenobiotic metabolising genes is associated with altered neurodevelopment outcome and ultimately altered neurobehavioural outcome. Prime interests of this systematic review were to establish an understanding of the sequences on the paraoxonase-1 gene associated with adverse neurobehavioural outcome. An in-depth literature search was conducted using the term combination “pesticide exposure, pre- and postnatal exposure, organophosphates/organophosphorus, single nucleotide polymorphism, paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), neurodevelopment/neurobehavioural outcome in child/infant”. Articles published from the year 2000 to 2018 were considered for review. The result showed that variance on the PON1-108 and 192 alleles could be implicated in the development of altered neurobehavioural outcomes.