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Erin N. Haynes,^1,2,3,4 Heidi J. Kalkwarf,^1,2 Richard Hornung,^1,5 Richard Wenstrup,⁶ Kim Dietrich,^1,3 and Bruce P. Lanphear^1,2,3

¹Cincinnati Children's Environmental Health Center and ²General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; ³Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; ⁴Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; ⁵Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA: ⁶Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Abstract
Variation in blood lead concentration is caused by a complex interaction of environmental, social, nutritional, and genetic factors. We evaluated the association between blood lead concentration and a vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism. Environmental samples and blood were analyzed for lead, nutritional and behavioral factors were assessed, and VDR -Fok1 genotype was determined in 245 children. We found a significant interaction between floor dust lead and genotype on blood lead concentration. For every 1 µg/ft² increase in floor dust, children with VDR -FF genotype had a 1.1% increase in blood lead [95% confidence interval (CI) , 0.69-1.5], VDR -Ff, 0.53% increase (95% CI, 0.1-0.92) , and VDR -ff, 3.8% increase (95% CI, 1.2-6.3) ; however, at floor dust levels < 10 µg/ft², children with VDR -ff had the lowest blood lead concentrations. These data suggest that VDR -Fok1 is an effect modifier of the relationship of floor dust lead exposure and blood lead concentration. Key words: child, dust, environmental exposure, Fok1, gene-environment, lead, lead poisoning, VDR, vitamin D receptor. Environ Health Perspect 111:1665-1669 (2003) . doi:10.1289/ehp.6167 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 7 July 2003]