Understanding the play between heredity and environment, and relating it to disease causation, is the task of ecogenetics. Gene-Environment Interactions: Fundamentals of Ecogenetics presents the first comprehensive survey of this discipline, reflecting its relationship with toxicology, epidemiology, pharmacology, public health, and other medical and biological fields.
Divided into four sections, the text elucidates key basic and advanced topics:
* Section 1 covers fundamentals, including the history of the discipline, a discussion of the molecular laboratory tools currently available to assess genotypes, using such measurements in molecular epidemiology studies, and the statistical issues involved in their analysis.
* Section 2 focuses on a number of key genetic polymorphisms relevant for ecogenetics, including enzymes of phase I and phase II metabolism, enzymes involved in DNA repair, as well as receptors and ion channels. This highlights characteristics of selected, widely studied genotypic/phenotypic differences, and allows discussion of how given genetic variations can influence responses to exogenous chemicals.
* Section 3 examines gene-environment interactions through a disease-based approach, addressing how genetic polymorphisms can influence susceptibility to various diseases. Chapters cover important disease conditions such as various types of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes, and obesity.
* The final section discusses the ethical, legal, and social issues that arise when investigating and evaluating genetic polymorphisms in human populations, as well as the impact of ecogenetics on risk assessment, regulatory policies, and medicine and public health.
Packed with clear examples illustrating concepts, as well as numerous tables and figures, Gene-Environment Interactions: Fundamentals of Ecogenetics is a unique resource for a wide range of physicians, students, and other specialists.

Lucio G. Costa, Ph.D., is professor of environmental health and toxicology at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine. He is also director of the NIEHS-sponsored Neurotoxicology Research Core at the Center in Ecogenetics and Environmental Health. His research is focused on the study of the cellular, biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in neurotoxicity using biochemical, molecular and imaging techniques.

David L. Eaton is Professor of Environmental Health and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of Washington. He serves as Director of the Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health, and is also Deputy Director for a major NIEHS-sponsored research initiative in the area of toxicogenomics. Dr. Eaton's research interests focus on understanding how subtle genetic differences between individuals and species can result in potentially large differences in susceptibility to chemical carcinogens.

Foreword.

Acknowledgments.

Contributors.

PART I.

Chapter 1. Introduction (Lucio G. Costa and David L. Eaton).

Chapter 2. Ecogenetics: Historical Perspectives (Gilbert S. Omenn and Arno G. Motulsky).

Chapter 3. Tools of Ecogenetics (Theo K. Bammler, Federico M. Farin, and Richard P. Beyer).

Chapter 4. Epidemiologic Approaches (Harvey Checkoway, Parveen Bhatti, and Anneclaire De Roos).

Chapter 5. Statistical Issues in Ecogenetic Studies (Stephanie A. Monks).

PART II.

Chapter 6. Overview of Section II (Lucio G. Costa and David L. Eaton).

Chapter 7. Polymorphisms in Cytochrome P450 and Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase Genes (Catherine K.Yeung, Allan E. Rettie, and Kenneth E. Thummel)

Chapter 8. Polymorphisms in Xenobiotic Conjugation (Helen E. Smith, David L. Eaton, and Theo K. Bammler).

Chapter 9. Paraoxonase, Butyrylcholinesterase, and Epoxide Hydrolase (Lucio G. Costa, Toby B. Cole, Gary K. Geiss, and Clement E. Furlong).

Chapter 10. DNA Repair Enzymes (Jon P. Anderson and Lawrence A. Loeb).

Chapter 11. Receptors and Ion Channels (Lucio G. Costa).

PART III.

Chapter 12. Overview of Section III (Lucio G. Costa and David L. Eaton).

Chapter 13. Lung Cancer (Valle Nazar-Stewart).

Chapter 14. Gastrointestinal Cancers (Thomas L.Vaughan).

Chapter 15. Neurodegenerative Diseases (Samir N. Kelada, Harvey Checkoway, and Lucio G. Costa).

Chapter 16. Cardiovascular Disease (Melissa A.Austin and Stephen M. Schwartz).

Chapter 17. Type 2 Diabetes (Karen L. Edwards).

Chapter 18. Infectious Disease Ecogenetics (David R. Sherman).

Chapter 19. Genetic Variation, Diet, and Disease Susceptibility (Johanna W. Lampe and John D. Potter).

Chapter 20. Genetic Determinants of Addiction to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs of Abuse (Andrew J. Saxon).

PART IV.

Chapter 21. Overview of Section IV (Lucio G. Costa and David L. Eaton).

Chapter 22. Ethical Issues in Ecogenetics (Kelly Fryer-Edwards, Lindsay A. Hampson, Christopher R. Carlsten, and Wylie Burke).

Chapter 23. Social and Psychological Aspects of Ecogenetics (Deborah Bowen, Shirley Beresford, and Brenda Diergaarde).

Chapter 24. Legal Issues (Kate Battuello and Anna Mastroianni).

Chapter 25. Risk Assessment and the Impact of Ecogenetics (Elaine M. Faustman and Gilbert S. Omenn).

Bibliography.

Index.