Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 357, Issue 9254, 10 February 2001, Pages 444-445
The Lancet

Research Letters
Genetic-susceptibility factor and malignant mesothelioma in the Cappadocian region of Turkey

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04013-7Get rights and content

Summary

Erionite present in stones used to build the villages of Karain and Tuzköy, Turkey, mined from nearby caves, is purported to cause mesothelioma in half of the villagers. We constructed genetic epidemiology maps to test whether some villagers were genetically predisposed to mesothelioma. Analysis of a six-generation extended pedigree of 526 individuals showed that mesothelioma was genetically transmitted, probably in an autosomal dominant way. This finding should lead to preventive strategies to lower the incidence of mesothelioma in future generations, and close monitoring of high-risk individuals might allow early detection and cure.

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