Cleft palate, transforming growth factor alpha gene variants, and maternal exposures: Assessing gene-environment interactions in case-parent triads

We have previously reported a threefold risk of cleft palate only (CPO) among children homozygous for the less common allele A2 at the TaqI marker site of the transforming growth factor alpha gene (TGFA) (Jugessur et al. [2003a] Genet. Epidemiol. 24:230–239). Here we assess possible interaction between the child's TGFA TaqI A2A2 genotype and maternal cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, use of multivitamins and folic acid. This was done by comparing the strength of genetic associations between strata of exposed and unexposed case‐parent triads. We also looked for possible gene‐gene interaction with the polymorphic variant C677T of the folic acid‐metabolizing gene MTHFR. We analyzed a total of 88 complete CPO triads selected from a population‐based study of orofacial clefts in Norway (May 1996–1998). No evidence of interaction was observed with either smoking or alcohol use. The risk associated with two copies of the A2 allele at TGFA TaqI was strong among children whose mothers did not use folic acid (relative risk=4.5, 95% confidence interval=1.3–15.7), and was only marginal among children whose mothers reported using folic acid (RR=1.4, 95% CI=0.2–12.7). Although the interaction between the child's genotypes at TGFA TaqI and MTHFR‐C677T was not statistically significant, the effect of the TGFA TaqI A2A2 genotype appeared to be stronger among children with either one or two copies of the T‐allele at C677T (RR=4.0, 95% CI=1.1–13.9) compared to children homozygous for the C‐allele (RR=1.7, 95% CI=0.2–15.7). In conclusion, we find little evidence of interaction between the child's genotypes at TGFA TaqI and various exposures for cleft palate, with the possible exception of folic acid intake. Genet Epidemiol 25:367–374, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.