Effects Of Heavy Metal Exposure Research Articles

Toxic effects of heavy metal exposure in solid organ transplant recipients

Heavy metal toxicity has recently been described in solid organ transplant recipients. Allograft dysfunction or failure associated with arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt and lead exposure have been reported, largely in renal transplant recipients, but also in small numbers of heart transplant recipients and a few liver and lung recipients. Conclusions: [1] In kidney transplant patients, highest tertile arsenic, cadmium and lead plasma levels were associated with increased allograft loss, compared to lower tertile levels; [2] Deteriorating metal hip prostheses may rarely cause heart failure due to cobalt and chromium cardiac toxicity in heart transplant and non-heart transplant patients, which resolves with prosthesis replacement; [3] Heavy metal testing should be considered in patients with multiple risk factors including occupational and environmental exposure, lower socioeconomic status, and multiple morbidities which could be associated with heavy metal toxicity; [4] Chelation therapy, used successfully in some non-transplant patients with chronic renal failure, has not been used systematically in transplant patients and studies are needed

Assessment of Essential and Potentially Toxic Elements in Water and Sediment and the Tissues of Sciaena deliciosa (Tschudi, 1846) from the Coast of Callao Bay, Peru.

The lorna drum Sciaena deliciosa is a coastal demersal species and one of the underlying artisanal fisheries in some areas of Peru, and is also a source of protein for Peruvian coastal dwellers. The investigation addresses concern about the environmental impact on this fish species and the potential risks to human health through the consumption of contaminated seafood. This research endeavors to assess the concentration of potentially toxic and essential elements in the muscle and liver tissues of S. deliciosa, in addition to the presence thereof in water and sediment capture areas on the coast of Callao, Peru. The study revealed that, in water samples, Ag, Ni, and Zn exceed Peruvian standards, but were below international standards, and Ba, P, Se, and Sn exceed international standards. In the sediments, As, Cd, Pb, Fe, and Zn were above international standards. In the fish, S. delicious muscle demonstrated As, Hg, and Pb exceeding at least one international standard. In the liver, As, Hg, Pb, and Cu exceed international standards. The study approach increased accuracy in risk assessments, offering crucial insights into the interplay between heavy metal pollution, water quality, and animal health, informing risk management strategies. Future studies can explore the long-term effects of heavy metal exposure on different organisms and consider their cumulative impact on health.

Serum albumin mediates the associations between heavy metals and two novel systemic inflammation indexes among U.S. adults

BackgroundThe effects of heavy metal exposure on immunological function have sparked widespread concern, but unequivocal evidence on the association between mixed metal exposure and novel systemic inflammatory indexes remains scarce. ObjectivesThis study aimed to analyze the associations of heavy metals with two novel systemic inflammation indexes and the mediated effects of serum albumin. MethodsNineteen metals were detected among 4082 U.S. adults based on the NHANES. A linear regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS) regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS), Quantile-based Gcomputation (qgcomp), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were conducted to evaluate the associations of single metal and mixed metals with systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) levels, respectively. A series of subgroup analyses were used to identify potentially vulnerable populations. Furthermore, we conducted mediation analyses to investigate the mediated effects of serum albumin on the associations of metals with SII and SIRI. ResultsIn the single-exposure model, exposure to various metals such as urinary Co, As, and serum Zn, Cu was associated with SII and SIRI (PFDR<0.05). Simultaneously, the above metals were linear positively correlated with SII and SIRI. Mixed-exposure analyses consistently showed that overall mixed urinary metal levels were positively pertinent for SII and SIRI levels, and the metal Co played a significant role in the urinary metal mixtures. Subgroup analyses showed that exposure to urinary Cd in men and elderly people increased SII and SIRI levels. The results of mediation analyses suggested the association of urinary metal mixture with SII and SIRI was mediated by albumin, and the proportion of mediation was 14.45% and 9.49%, respectively. ConclusionsOur findings suggested that metal exposure is strongly associated with the levels of system inflammation indexes and that serum albumin is, in part, a mediator of this association.

Specific dietary fibers prevent heavy metal disruption of the human gut microbiota in vitro

Heavy metal exposure is a growing concern due to its adverse effects on human health, including the disruption of gut microbiota composition and function. Dietary fibers have been shown to positively impact the gut microbiota and could mitigate some of the heavy metal negative effects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different heavy metals (As, Cd and Hg in different concentrations) on gut microbiota in the presence and absence of different dietary fibers that included fructooligosaccharides, pectin, resistant starch, and wheat bran. We observed that whereas heavy metals impaired fiber fermentation outcomes for some fiber types, the presence of fibers generally protected gut microbial communities from heavy metal-induced changes, especially for As and Cd. Notably, the protective effects varied depending on fiber types, and heavy metal type and concentration and were overall stronger for wheat bran and pectin than other fiber types. Our findings suggest that dietary fibers play a role in mitigating the adverse effects of heavy metal exposure on gut microbiota health and may have implications for the development of dietary interventions to reduce dysbiosis associated with heavy metal exposure. Moreover, fiber-type specific outcomes highlight the importance of evidence-based selection of prebiotic dietary fibers to mitigate heavy metal toxicity to the gut microbiota.

Effects of continuous and pulse lead exposure on the swimming behavior of tadpoles revealed by brain-gut axis analysis

Lead (Pb) is present in aquatic environments with a continuous or pulse form due to the regular or irregular discharge of wastewater. These two modes of exposure result in different toxicological effects on aquatic animals. To compare the effects of Pb exposure mode on the swimming behavior of amphibian larvae, this study proposed a combination method to examine the brain-gut axis (gut bacteria, histopathology, metabolomics, and ethology) in order to evaluate the ecotoxic differences in Pelophylax nigromaculatus tadpoles (Gs 21–28) when exposed to continuous (CE100) versus pulse exposure (PE100) of environmental concentrations of Pb (100 μg/L). The results showed that: 1) CE100 significantly decreased the movement distance and swimming activity of the tadpoles compared to PE100 and the control, while there were no significant differences between the control group and PE100. 2) At the phyla level, compared to PE100, CE100 treatment significantly decreased the abundance of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes and increased the abundance of Fusobacteria in the gut. At the genus level, compared to PE100, CE100 significantly increased the abundance of U114 and decreased the abundance of Anaerorhabdus, Exiguobacterium and Microbacterium. 3) Compared to PE100, CE100 changed the metabolites of the brain-gut axis pathway, such as quinolinic acid, L-valine, L-dopa, L-histidine, urocanic acid, L-threonine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), L-glutamate (Glu), acetylcholine (Ach), L-tyrosine (Tyr), L-tryptophan (Trp), and levodopa (DOPA). 4) CE100 and PE100 played a repressive role in the histidine metabolism and tyrosine metabolism pathways and played a promoting role in the purine metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism pathways. This study provides a method for evaluating the toxic effects of heavy metal exposure via two different exposure modes (pulse versus continuous) which tadpoles may encounter in the natural environment from a combined study examining the brain-gut axis.

Effects of heavy metal exposure during pregnancy on birth outcomes

Exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury poses serious health risks to pregnant women because of their high toxicity. In this study, we investigated the associations of heavy metal exposure with birth outcomes of Korean infants. Data of 5,215 women between 2015 and 2019 were analyzed. This study was part of the Korean Children’s Environmental Health (Ko-CHENS) study. Linear regression and logistic regression analyses were used to examine effects of concentrations of lead, cadmium, and mercury on birth weight, small for gestational age, and large for gestational age after adjusting for maternal age groups, parity, infant sex, education, income, smoking, drinking, body mass index, stillbirth, premature birth, diabetes, hypertension, and gestational diabetes. Besides adjusting for these covariates, each metal was mutually adjusted to estimate birth weight and large for gestational age status. Maternal cadmium concentrations during early pregnancy (β = − 39.96; 95% confidence interval (CI): − 63.76, − 16.17) and late pregnancy (β = − 37.24; 95% CI − 61.63, − 12.84) were significantly associated with birth weight. Cadmium levels during early pregnancy (adjusted OR = 0.637; 95% CI 0.444, 0.912) were also associated with large for gestational age status. Our findings suggest that prenatal cadmium exposure, even at a low level of exposure, is significantly associated with low birth weight.

A review on the potential risks and mechanisms of heavy metal exposure to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic disease that affects patients as well as the health and economic stability of society as a whole. At the same time, heavy metal pollution is widely recognized as having a possible impact on the environment and human health. Therefore, these diseases have become important global public health issues. In recent years, researchers have shown great interest in the potential association between heavy metal exposure and the development of COPD, and there has been a substantial increase in the number of related studies. However, we still face the challenge of developing a comprehensive and integrated understanding of this complex association. Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate the existing epidemiological studies to clarify the association between heavy metal exposure and COPD. In addition, we will discuss the biological mechanisms between the two to better understand the multiple molecular pathways and possible mechanisms of action involved, and provide additional insights for the subsequent identification of potential strategies to prevent and control the effects of heavy metal exposure on the development of COPD in individuals and populations.

Plasma heavy metals and coagulation levels of residents in E-waste recycling areas

Heavy metal exposure increased the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, few studies investigated the effects of heavy metal exposure released by e-waste on coagulation, a risk factor for CVD. We conducted a cross-section study including residents living near and away from e-waste dismantling factories as exposed and reference groups for detecting plasma heavy metal concentrations, fibrinogen, activated coagulation factor X (FXa), and oxidative stress indicators of MDA and 8-isoprostane. We applied linear regression, ridge regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models to estimate the associations between metal concentrations and coagulation. Furthermore, we explored the potential mediating role of oxidative stress. Our results showed that the concentrations of most heavy metals such as Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb and fibrinogen in the exposed group were higher. Combined results of three statistical methods, we found Cd and Pb were associated with increased fibrinogen and FXa. In the linear regression, per one unit increase in log-transformed Cd and Pb was associated with 13.3 % and 15.4 % increase in fibrinogen, respectively. One unit increment in log-transformed Cd and Pb was associated with 14.2 % and 15.6 % higher FXa. The results of ridge regression were consistent with the basic linear regression. In the BKMR model, when all metals were at 60th or higher percentiles, the overall effect of the metal mixture was significantly associated with both fibrinogen and FXa compared to their 50th percentile. Increases in Cd and Pb were linked to higher oxidative stress, which potentially mediated the elevated coagulation levels. Our study suggests that exposure to heavy metals may increase coagulation levels and oxidative stress is a potential modulation pathway.

Association between exposure to mixture of heavy metals and hyperlipidemia risk among U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study

Previous studies have suggested that exposure to heavy metals might increase the risk of hyperlipidemia. However, limited research has investigated the association between exposure to mixture of heavy metals and hyperlipidemia risk. To explore the independent and combined effects of heavy metal exposure on hyperlipidemia risk, this study involved 3293 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including 2327 with hyperlipidemia and the remaining without. In the individual metal analysis, the logistic regression model confirmed the positive effects of barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb), and uranium (U) on hyperlipidemia risk, Ba, Cd, Hg and Pb were further validated in restricted cubic splines (RCS) regression model and identified as positive linear relationships. In the metal mixture analysis, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), and quantile-based g computation (qgcomp) models consistently revealed a positive correlation between exposure to metal mixture and hyperlipidemia risk, with Ba, Cd, Hg, Pb, and U having significant positive driving roles in the overall effects. These associations were more prominent in young/middle-aged individuals. Moreover, the BKMR model uncovered some interactions between specific heavy metals. In conclusion, this study offers new evidence supporting the link between combined exposure to multiple heavy metals and hyperlipidemia risk, but considering the limitations of this study, further prospective research is required.

Metabolome analysis to investigate the effect of heavy metal exposure and chemoprevention agents on toxic injury caused by a multi-heavy metal mixture in rats

Heavy metal pollution is a significant threat to both the environment and living organisms. This is especially vital considering the persistent and cumulative nature of heavy metal exposure, which can lead to severe and chronic health consequences for individuals. Therefore, implementing effective treatments is critical to addressing the serious public health issues posed by heavy metal pollution. In this study, nontargeted metabolomics was carried out to investigate the metabolic changes associated with long-term low-dose intake of mixed heavy metal pollutants (MHMPs) in liver, kidney, and plasma samples of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with and without treatment to reveal the underlying toxic effects of MHMPs and the effects of chemoprevention agents, including epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), trisodium citrate dihydrate (TCD), and glutathione (GSH). In the liver, kidney, and plasma, we observed a total of 21, 69, and 16 metabolites, respectively, exhibiting significant differences (P < 0.05, fold change >1.2 or <0.83, and VIP ≥ 1) between the control group and the mixture group. The findings demonstrated that exposure to MHMPs leads to the dysregulation of numerous metabolic pathways, with a particular emphasis on purine metabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis with upregulated renal purine metabolites and downregulated hepatic purine metabolites as well as renal aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis-related metabolites. However, the application of chemical protectants was shown to partially restore the metabolic alterations induced by MHMPs, particularly purine metabolism-related metabolites, including hepatic adenine and renal adenine, guanine, guanosine, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and hypoxanthine. In addition, liver adenosine, kidney inosine and L-phenylalanine were considered the main regulated sites based on their significant correlations with multiple heavy metals. Our study provides crucial insights into the toxicological mechanisms of heavy metal pollution and has the potential to guide the development of effective preventive strategies.

Effects of heavy metal exposure on hypertension: A machine learning modeling approach

Heavy metal exposure is a common risk factor for hypertension. To develop an interpretable predictive machine learning (ML) model for hypertension based on levels of heavy metal exposure, data from the NHANES (2003–2016) were employed. Random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT), multilayer perceptron (MLP), ridge regression (RR), AdaBoost (AB), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), voting classifier (VC), and K-nearest neighbour (KNN) algorithms were utilized to generate an optimal predictive model for hypertension. Three interpretable methods, the permutation feature importance analysis, partial dependence plot (PDP), and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) methods, were integrated into a pipeline and embedded in ML for model interpretation. A total of 9005 eligible individuals were randomly allocated into two distinct sets for predictive model training and validation. The results showed that among the predictive models, the RF model demonstrated the highest performance, achieving an accuracy rate of 77.40% in the validation set. The AUC and F1 score for the model were 0.84 and 0.76, respectively. Blood Pb, urinary Cd, urinary Tl, and urinary Co levels were identified as the main influencers of hypertension, and their contribution weights were 0.0504 ± 0.0482, 0.0389 ± 0.0256, 0.0307 ± 0.0179, and 0.0296 ± 0.0162, respectively. Blood Pb (0.55–2.93 μg/dL) and urinary Cd (0.06–0.15 μg/L) levels exhibited the most pronounced upwards trend with the risk of hypertension within a specific value range, while urinary Tl (0.06–0.26 μg/L) and urinary Co (0.02–0.32 μg/L) levels demonstrated a declining trend with hypertension. The findings on the synergistic effects indicated that Pb and Cd were the primary determinants of hypertension. Our findings underscore the predictive value of heavy metals for hypertension. By utilizing interpretable methods, we discerned that Pb, Cd, Tl, and Co emerged as noteworthy contributors within the predictive model.

Transcriptomic Changes Induced by Low and High Concentrations of Heavy Metal Exposure in Ulva pertusa.

The impact of sewage and wastewater pollution on marine ecosystems is of increasing concern due to the rapid accumulation of heavy metals in seaweeds inhabiting near-shore environments. Seaweeds can be severely damaged by heavy metals throughout their life cycles. Although the physiological and ecological effects of heavy metal exposure have been studied, there is limited research on their molecular responses. Ulva pertusa is a prevalent seaweed species in South Korea and is ecologically significant in coastal ecosystems. We utilized high-throughput RNA sequencing to analyze changes in the transcriptome profiles of U. pertusa under low concentrations of heavy metals (MPS) and high concentrations of copper (MPS-Cu) and cadmium (MPS-Cd). Differential gene expression analysis revealed that 53 (control vs. MPS), 27 (MPS vs. MPS-Cd), and 725 (MPS vs. MPS-Cu) genes were expressed differentially. Differentially expressed genes identified in our study included those with protective roles against oxidative stress and those involved in metal transport to the vacuole. Furthermore, exposure to heavy metal stress had a negative impact on the photosynthetic apparatus structural proteins of U. pertusa, resulting in photosynthetic inhibition. Moreover, exposure to high concentrations of copper resulted in the activation of carbon-related metabolism. These findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying heavy metal toxicity in U. pertusa.

Physical activity attenuates the association between blood cadmium exposure and cardiovascular disease: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018.

Existing studies could not separate the effects of heavy metal exposure on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk from those caused by physical activity (PA). The possible interactive effect of heavy metal exposure and PA on the risk of CVD remains still unknown. We enrolled a total of 12,280 participants in 2007-2018 cycles of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and discovered that both low blood concentrations of Cd and Pb were positively correlated with increased prevalence of CVD and subtypes, with a stronger association for blood Cd than Pb. Negative dose-response relationships between PA and the prevalence of CVD and subtypes were identified. Participants with inactive and active PA had lower risk of CVD than those having no PA, with multivariate adjusted ORs 0.8 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.94) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.68, 0.85), respectively. The only evidence for negative interaction between regular PA and blood Cd concentrations was found with regard to the prevalence of CVD and subtypes, indicating that regular PA could well modify the adverse effect of blood Cd on CVD risk. We demonstrate for the first time to date that PA may have a beneficial effect against the hazardous impact of Cd exposure on elevated CVD risk, emphasizing the necessity to promote a healthy lifestyle with active PA.

Heavy Metals and Cardiovascular Disease on Wetlands

Heavy metals are metal elements with a relatively high density compared to water. One area that is vulnerable to heavy metal pollution is the wetland environment. In South Kalimantan, an alkaline land area, pollution is mainly caused by mining activities, especially coal mining and oil palm plantation activities. The presence of heavy metals in the sediments of the Martapura River in South Kalimantan, which have passed the threshold for sediment contamination, includes Mn, Fe and Hg. The potential link between chronic heavy metal exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has several implications. Although the cardiovascular system is not usually viewed as the main target of heavy metal toxicity, imbalances in antioxidant protection mechanisms lead to oxidative stress in cells as a major effect of heavy metal exposure. Heavy metals can cause oxidative stress by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Heavy metals are associated with an increase in systemic inflammation. They can lead to impaired immune function and accumulation of immune complexes, causing CVD, including the uncontrolled release of inflammatory cytokines, kidney damage, and central nervous system stimulation. However, some research results are contradictory and say no relationship exists between heavy metals, such as mercury, and cardiovascular disease. The presence of heavy metals is still a health risk in wetlands. Metal content that crosses this threshold can be a cause or a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The effects of heavy metal content, such as mercury, on health, especially cardiovascular disease, are still not fully understood, requiring further investigation and research.

The association between multi-heavy metals exposure and lung function in a typical rural population of Northwest China

Heavy metal exposure is acknowledged to be associated with decrease oflung function, but the relationship between metals co-exposure and lung function in rural areas of Northwest China remains unclear, particularly in an area famous for heavy metal pollution and solid fuel use. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the effects of heavy metal exposure on lung function and the potential impacts of living habit in a rural cohort of Northwest China. The study area included five villages of two regions in Northwestern China-Gansu province. All participants were recruited from the Dongdagou-Xinglong (DDG-XL) rural cohort in the study area. Urine levels of 10 common and representative heavy metals were detected by ICP-MS, including Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Molybdenum (Mo), Cadmium (Cd), Stibium (Sb), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb), and Manganese (Mn). The lung function was detected by measuring percentages of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%) and predictedforced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%) as well as the ratio of FEV1/FVC. We also analyzed the association between heavy metals and pulmonary ventilation dysfunction (PVD). Restricted cubic spline, logistic regression, linear regression, and bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model were used to analyze the relationship between heavy metal exposure and lung function. Finally, a total of 382 participants were included in this study with an average age of 56.69 ± 7.32years, and 82.46% of them used solid fuels for heating and cooking. Single metal exposure analysis showed that the higher concentration of Hg, Mn, Sb, and lower Mo may be risk factors for PVD. We also found that FEV1% and FVC% were negatively correlated with Sb, Hg, and Mn, but positively correlated with Mo. The effect of mixed heavy metals exposure could be observed through BKMR model, through which we found the lung function decreased with the increase of heavy metal concentration. Furthermore, the males, BMI ≥ 24kg/m2 and who used solid fuels showed a higher risk of PVD when exposed to Co, Zn, and Hg. Our results suggested that heavy metal exposure was associated with decrease of lung function regardless of single exposure or mixed exposure, particularly for Sb, Hg, Mn and those who use solid fuels.

Early immune response of neuronal cells (U87) to heavy metal Cd or Pb exposure.

Heavy metals such as lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) exist as particulate matter (PM) in the air and can cause biological damage to cells, animals, and humans. However, the mechanism underlying the toxic effects of heavy metals on nerve cells has not yet been completely identified. Glioma is the most common and fatal tumor in the central nervous system; the U87 human glioblastoma cell line is commonly used when researching brain cancer, including aggressive malignant gliomas. Therefore, in this study, cell viability, cytotoxicity, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were analyzed to confirm the effect of Cd and Pb exposure on U87 cells. On confirming the absence of significant effects on cell viability at low concentrations of heavy metals, Cd and Pb exposure had no effect on lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) activity at the concentrations (1 μg/L, 30 μg/L, and 1 mg/L) used in this study, and there was a remarkable effect of Cd and Pb exposure on the inflammatory response of these cells. Our findings provide a basis for future research elucidating the effects of heavy metal exposure on cellular pathology. Systematic studies with higher heavy metal concentrations and precision are warranted to deepen our understanding of the relationship between heavy metal exposure and neuronal responses.

Association between Exposure to Selected Heavy Metals and Blood Eosinophil Counts in Asthmatic Adults: Results from NHANES 2011–2018

(1) Background: Heavy metals are widely used and dispersed in the environment and people's daily routines. Many studies have reported an association between heavy metal exposure and asthma. Blood eosinophils play a crucial role in the occurrence, progression, and treatment of asthma. However, there have thus far been few studies that aimed to explore the effects of heavy metal exposure on blood eosinophil counts in adults with asthma. Our study aims to discuss the association between metal exposure and blood eosinophil counts among asthmatic adults. (2) Methods: A total of 2026 asthmatic individuals were involved in our research from NHANES with metal exposure, blood eosinophils, and other covariates among the American population. A regression model, the XGBoost algorithm, and a generalized linear model (GAM) were used to explore the potential correlation. Furthermore, we conducted a stratified analysis to determine high-risk populations. (3) Results: The multivariate regression analysis indicated that concentrations of blood Pb (log per 1 mg/L; coefficient β, 25.39; p = 0.010) were positively associated with blood eosinophil counts. However, the associations between blood cadmium, mercury, selenium, manganese, and blood eosinophil counts were not statistically significant. We used stratified analysis to determine the high-risk group regarding Pb exposure. Pb was identified as the most vital variable influencing blood eosinophils through the XGBoost algorithm. We also used GAM to observe the linear relationship between the blood Pb concentrations and blood eosinophil counts. (4) Conclusions: The study demonstrated that blood Pb was positively correlated with blood eosinophil counts among asthmatic adults. We suggested that long-time Pb exposure as a risk factor might be correlated with the immune system disorder of asthmatic adults and affect the development, exacerbation, and treatment of asthma.

Real-Time Monitoring of Temperature-Dependent Structural Transitions in DNA Nanomechanical Resonators: Unveiling the DNA–Ligand Interactions for Biomedical Applications

Despite being widely recognized as of paramount importance in molecular biology, real-time monitoring of structural transitions in DNA complexes is currently limited to complex techniques and chemically modified oligonucleotides. Here, we show that nanomechanical resonators made of different DNA complexes, such as pristine dsDNA, ssDNA, and DNA intercalated with dye molecules or chemotherapeutic agents, are characterized by unique fingerprint curves when their flexural resonance frequency is tracked as a function of temperature. Such frequency shifts can be successfully used to monitor structural variations in DNA complexes, such as B-to-A form and helix-to-coil transitions, thus opening implications in both environmental studies─for example, trucking the effects of heavy metal exposure on human or vegetable DNA molecules─and in vitro experiments for the evaluation of the effects of drugs on patient DNA.

Independent, combine and interactive effects of heavy metal exposure on dyslipidemia biomarkers: A cross-sectional study in northeastern China

Dyslipidemia is a common disease in the older population and represents a considerable disease burden worldwide. Epidemiological and experimental studies have indicated associations between heavy metal exposure and dyslipidemia; few studies have investigated the effects of heavy metal mixture and interactions between metals on dyslipidemia. We recruited 1121 participants living in heavy metal–contaminated and control areas in northeast China from a cross-sectional survey (2017–2019). Urinary metals including chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn) and dyslipidemia biomarkers, namely triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, were measured. The generalized linear model (GLM) was used to explore the association of a single metal with dyslipidemia biomarkers. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and multivariable linear regression were performed to explore the overall effect of metal mixture and the interaction between metals on dyslipidemia. Heavy metal mixture was positively associated with LDL-C, TC, and TG and negatively with HDL-C. In multivariable linear regression, Pb and Cd exhibited a synergistic association with LDL-C in the participants without hyperlipemia. Mn-Cd and Pb-Cr also showed a synergistic association with increasing the level of LDL-C in subjects without hyperlipemia. Cd-Cr showed an antagonistic association with HDL-C, respectively. Cr-Mn exhibited an antagonistic association with decreased HDL-C and TG levels. No significant interaction was noted among the three metals. Our study indicated that exposure to heavy metals is associated with dyslipidemia biomarkers and the presence of potential synergistic or antagonistic interactions between the heavy metals.

Relation of Urinary Mercury Level to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome among Workers of Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining: A Study of 3 Districts in West Nusa Tenggara Province and Lebak District of Banten Province, Indonesia

Introduction. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a collection of symptoms from a substantial reduction in the ability to engage in preillness levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities that persists for more than six months and is accompanied by fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and unrefreshing sleep. One of the effects of heavy metal exposure is the occurrence of CFS among workers. Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) workers used mercury in their work, and this leads to a higher risk of chronic mercury poisoning. One of the health problems dueto mercury exposure is the occurrence of CFS and this has not been studied among ASGM workers.Objective. This study intended to discover the prevalence of CFS among ASGM workers and the factors associated with it.Method. This study used a cross-sectional design to find the relationship between independent variables such as age, sex, working period as a miner, type of work activities in ASGM, and cumulative urinary mercury levels with CFS in ASGM workers in West Nusa Tenggara and Banten province. CFS was measured using standardized questionnaire on effect on mercury released by WHO-UNEP, and creatinine-corrected urinary mercury levels.Results. The prevalence of CFS in ASGM workers in West Nusa Tenggara and Banten provinces was 17.9%. Based on the results, the factors of age, sex, work period, type of work, province of origin and cumulative urinary mercury levels did not have a statistically significant relationship with CFS (p&gt; 0.05).Conclusion. There was no significant relationship between age, sex, work period, type of work, urinary mercury level and cumulative urinary mercury levels with CFS in ASGM workers.