Understanding the play between heredity and environment, andrelating it to disease causation, is the task of ecogenetics.Gene-Environment Interactions: Fundamentals of Ecogenetics presentsthe first comprehensive survey of this discipline, reflecting itsrelationship with toxicology, epidemiology, pharmacology, publichealth, and other medical and biological fields.
Divided into four sections, the text elucidates key basic andadvanced topics:
* Section 1 covers fundamentals, including the history of thediscipline, a discussion of the molecular laboratory toolscurrently available to assess genotypes, using such measurements inmolecular epidemiology studies, and the statistical issues involvedin their analysis.
* Section 2 focuses on a number of key genetic polymorphismsrelevant for ecogenetics, including enzymes of phase I and phase IImetabolism, enzymes involved in DNA repair, as well as receptorsand ion channels. This highlights characteristics of selected,widely studied genotypic/phenotypic differences, and allowsdiscussion of how given genetic variations can influence responsesto exogenous chemicals.
* Section 3 examines gene-environment interactions through adisease-based approach, addressing how genetic polymorphisms caninfluence susceptibility to various diseases. Chapters coverimportant disease conditions such as various types of cancer,neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, chronicpulmonary diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes, andobesity.
* The final section discusses the ethical, legal, and social issuesthat arise when investigating and evaluating genetic polymorphismsin human populations, as well as the impact of ecogenetics on riskassessment, regulatory policies, and medicine and publichealth.
Packed with clear examples illustrating concepts, as well asnumerous tables and figures, Gene-Environment Interactions:Fundamentals of Ecogenetics is a unique resource for a wide rangeof physicians, students, and other specialists.