Association of Cytochrome P450 1B1 Gene Expression in Peripheral Leukocytes with Blood Lipid Levels in Waste Incinerator Workers

Purpose This study investigated whether CYP1B1 gene expression was associated with blood lipids levels. Methods Workers from a municipal waste incineration plant in Taiwan participated in a questionnaire survey and physical examination and provided fasting blood samples for blood lipid analysis. CYP1B1 gene expression in workersʹ leukocytes was determined with the real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method, and 112 workers were categorized into three groups (low-, medium-, and high-expression) by their relative CYP1B1 gene expression levels. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess the association between blood lipid parameter and CYP1B1 expression. Results High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was significantly lower in the high CYP1B1 expression group than in the low- and medium-expression groups (parameter estimate [standard error] = −7.16 [2.42] and −7.02 [2.46] mg/dL, respectively), after controlling for age, sex, CYP1B1 genotype, duration of employment, current number of cigarettes smoked per day, current alcohol drinking status, and body mass index. Triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and total cholesterol were not significantly different among the CYP1B1 expression groups. Furthermore, workers carrying the CYP1B1*3 allele had significantly higher mean HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol, respectively, than those with CYP1B1*1/*1. Conclusions CYP1B1 expression was associated with decreased HDL cholesterol levels in incinerator workers.