Abstract
In the present study, trace elements (TE) levels were evaluated in scalp hair along the continuum from healthy subjects (HS) to patients suffering from subjective memory concerns (SMC), and/or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and those with already installed dementia (DEM) in order to: (i) assess the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on TE concentrations and (ii) evaluate the analyzed elements as possible diagnostic biomarkers for the disease. The study involved 79 mainly permanent residents, >55 years old, from the city of Estarreja (northern Portugal), a former industrial area. The health status of the participants was assessed by means of a complete socio-demographic questionnaire and through cognitive screening tests, namely the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The test scores were categorized and used in the statistical analysis. Hair samples were collected and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) ICP-MS for selected TE. Dementia appears to be associated with higher age, the female gender, lower education level, and longer residence time in the study area. In addition, most of the participants diagnosed with dementia frequently consume home-grown foodstuffs, some irrigated with contaminated well water. The calculation of the TE enrichment factors of soil samples collected in kitchen gardens/small farms in the vicinity of the Estarreja Chemical Complex (ECC) reinforces the degree of Hg soil contamination in the area, due to anthropogenic sources that can be a source for the population Hg exposure route among others. Mercury levels in hair differed significantly between the four individual groups (HS, SMC, MCI, and DEM), increasing from healthy to dementia participants. Improved diagnostic results can be obtained using hair TE signatures coupled with MMSE scores. This strategy may prove useful for predictive diagnosis in population screening for cognitive impairment.
Highlights
The aging of human populations around the world is leading to an epidemic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with the number of cases estimated to rise to nearly 106 million by 2050 [1]
Trace elements levels were evaluated in scalp hair along the continuum from healthy subjects (HS) to patients suffering from subjective memory concerns (SMC) and/or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and those with already installed AD
The Kruskal–Wallis H test showed statistically significant differences for age (χ2 (3) = 11.626, p = 0.009) between SMC and Dementia (DEM) subjects (p = 0.013), for the level of education (χ2 (3) = 26.988, p < 0.0001) between HS and DEM (p = 0.001), as well as between SMC and DEM subjects (p < 0.001), and for the amount of time living in the city (χ2 (3) = 12.662, p = 0.005) between
Summary
The aging of human populations around the world is leading to an epidemic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with the number of cases estimated to rise to nearly 106 million by 2050 [1]. Whilst the genetic component of sporadic AD risk has been increasingly recognized in recent years due to genome-wide association studies (GWAS) [18], the presence of the APOEε4 allele being the strongest genetic risk factor, the role of environmental exposures and the mechanisms of their contribution to the pathogenesis of AD continues to be a subject of discussion This is partly because of the extended time lapse between exposure and onset of the disease. Trace elements levels were evaluated in scalp hair along the continuum from healthy subjects (HS) to patients suffering from SMC and/or MCI and those with already installed AD in order to: (i) assess the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on TE concentrations in the hair of the elderly and (ii) evaluate the analyzed elements as possible diagnostic biomarkers for the disease
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