Impact table to show the predicting power of specific hypoxia-related genes on CMS (CMS-score≥12) in the Himalayas (Korzok village altitude 4450 m.) after 1 hour of hyperoxia.

To assess the impact of specific genes on chronic mountain sickness-score (CMS-sc), using a sliding scale (continuous), we show an “impact table” for the combined (CMS & Controls) Himalayan (Ladakh) groups at native altitude after 1 hour of hyperoxia (B). The best predictor, under these circumstances, is PDK4.
In univariate linear regression model, PDK4 is found to be the most significant predictor of CMS-sc (highlighted). Adjusting for PDK4 eliminates the impact of the other genes on the CMS-sc (columns, ADJ for PDK4). However, adjusting PDK4 for each of the remaining genes, assayed here, strengthens the impact of PDK4 (columns, Adj.PDK4). This supports the importance of PDK4 in predicting CMS-sc in the Himalayas under conditions of hyperoxia just as in the Andes in normoxia, see Table 3, (For glossary of terms, see table 2 and Text S1).
PDK4 (pyruvate dehydrogenase Kinase 4) is a kinase involved in “aerobic glycolysis” (the Warburg effect). It supports a metabolic pattern seen in many (but not all) hypoxia adapted tissues, also in cancer cells and activated immune cells.