A polymorphism in DMT1 is associated with lead-related hypertensive status

Divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) is an iron transporting membrane protein important for dietary iron uptake and as a carrier of other metals, such as zinc, copper, and lead. This study evaluated the possible association of DMT1 with clinical variables in a lead-exposed population. We investigated three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (1303C/A, 1254T/C and IVS4+44C/A) of DMT1 in 662 male lead-exposed workers from Korea using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Among the three SNPs, the frequencies of IVS4+44C/A were significantly different between normotensive and hypertensive subjects. This suggests that a polymorphism in DMT1 is associated with increased risk of lead-related hypertensive status in a Korean male population.