Genetic variations in detoxification enzymes and HIF-1a in Japanese patients with COPD Andika Chandra Putra 1 , Keiji Tanimoto 1 , Marina Arifin 1 , Budhi Antariksa 2 and Keiko Hiyama 1 1 Department of Radiation Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan 2 Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Abstract Introduction: Genetic factors contribute as major determinants in the pathophysi- ological mechanisms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There- fore, identification of candidate genes and various gene polymorphisms have improved our understanding of COPD. Objectives: Clarify the genes, including HIF1A, that contribute to the development of COPD. Methods: We compared the genotype frequencies of 12 polymorphisms in seven detoxification-related genes (GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 exon 5, CYP1A1 exon 7, CYP1A1 3′-flanking, CYP2E1 intron 6, CYP2E1 5′-flanking, EPHX1 exon 3, EPHX1 exon 4 and HMOX1 promoter) and the hypoxia-related HIF1A (C1772T and G1790A) genes between 48 Japanese patients with work-related COPD who had a working history in a poison gas factory during World War II and two control groups (n = 172 and 110 subjects, respectively). Results: As expected, wild homozygotes for GSTP1 Ile105Val and EPHX1 slow/very slow phenotypes were associated with susceptibility (P = 0.031) and severity (P = 0.036) of COPD, respectively. Moreover, compound heterozygosity of transcription-activating HIF1A polymorphisms was observed in two patients with COPD, but not in control individuals (P = 0.091). Conclusion: This is the first report that examined HIF1A polymorphisms in COPD and demonstrated a possible role of HIF-1a in COPD, as well as GSTP1 and EPHX1. Please cite this paper as: Putra AC, Tanimoto K, Arifin M, Antariksa B and Hiyama K. Genetic variations in detoxification enzymes and HIF-1a in Japanese patients with COPD. Clin Respir J 2011; DOI:10.1111/j.1752-699X.2011.00255.x. Key words COPD – detoxification – genetic susceptibility – hypoxia-inducible factor 1 – polymorphism Correspondence Keiko Hiyama, MD, PhD, Department of Radiation Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551 Japan. Tel: +81 82 257 5841 Fax: +81 82 256 7105 email: khiyama@hiroshima-u.ac.jp Received: 03 August 2010 Revision requested: 24 November 2010 Accepted: 19 January 2011 DOI:10.1111/j.1752-699X.2011.00255.x Authorship and contributorship AC Putra, sequence/data analysis and preparation of the manuscript; K Tanimoto, study design and preparation of the manuscript; M. Arifin, contributed in experiments; B. Antariksa, experimental design; K. Hiyama, study design, experiments and manuscript preparation. Ethics This study was approved by Genetic and Medical Ethics Committee, Hiroshima University, and has been performed in accordance with the ethical standards. All persons gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study. Conflicts of interest The authors have stated explicitly that there are no conflicts of interest in connection with this article. The Clinical Respiratory Journal ORIGINAL ARTICLE 1 The Clinical Respiratory Journal (2011) • ISSN 1752-6981 © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd