Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol

BackgroundWe examined risks associated with joint exposure to gene variants and pesticides.MethodsAnalyses included 189 cases and 390 male controls born from 1991-2003 in California's San Joaquin Valley. We used logistic regression to examine risks associated with joint exposures to gene variants and pesticides that our previous work identified as associated with hypospadias. Genetic variables were based on variants in DGKK; genes involved in sex steroid synthesis/metabolism; and genes involved in genital tubercle development. Pesticide exposure was based on residential proximity to commercial agricultural pesticide applications.ResultsOdds ratios (ORs) were highest among babies with joint exposures, who had 2- to 4-fold increased risks; e.g., the OR was 3.7 (95% CI 0.8-16.5) among subjects with the risk-associated DGKK haplotype and pesticide exposure; 1.5 (0.7-3.1) among subjects with the haplotype and no pesticide exposure; and 0.9 (0.5-1.6) among subjects without the haplotype but with pesticide exposure, relative to subjects with neither. However, results did not provide statistical evidence that these risks were significantly greater than expected on an additive scale, relative to risks associated with one exposure at a time.ConclusionsWe observed elevated risks associated with joint exposures to selected pesticides and genetic variants but no statistical evidence for interaction.R01 ES017060/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United StatesU01 DD001033/DD/NCBDD CDC HHS/United States2017-08-01T00:00:00Z27098078PMC498324