期刊連結：http://www.gouthyperuricemia.org

Objective: Gout is a heterogeneous metabolic disease and is affected by both environmental and genetic factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the gene-gene (or genetic variants) interactions in gout.

Methods: Possible pairwise genetic variant interactions were explored between three gout associated loci (17q23.2, 9p24.2 and 11p15.5) from our previous genome wide association study (GWAS). A GPU (graphic processing unit)-accelerated version of BOOST (Boolean Operation-based Screening and Testing) was used for detecting gene interactions in a sample of 1,255 male cases and 1,848 male controls.

Results: Three significant pair-way interactions were observed for rs6476874 (9p24.2, solute carrier family 1 member 1, SLC1A1) and rs7225870 (17q23.2, intergenic variant), rs7029249 (9p24.2, intergenic variant) and rs800123 (11p15.5, intergenic variant), and rs231352 (11p15.5, potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily Q member 1, KCNQ1) and rs9902812 (17q23.2, integrator complex subunit 2, INTS2). The p values are 1.46×10-6, 2.07×10-6 and 8.88×10-6, respectively. None survived in the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, but were close to the significance level 5.91×10-7.

Conclusion: These three genetic variant interactions might confer susceptibility to gout. Further investigations are required to validate the findings and explore more genetic variant interactions in the etiology of gout.