Serum Mercury Research Articles

Surgical Management of Iatrogenic Mercury Poisoning From Subcutaneous Injection Into the Arm.

Mercury, an element with threats of severe toxic insult to humans and no biological function, has a surprisingly extensive record of human exposure. Regardless of hesitancies toward its harmfulness, it has been historically identified with an almost supernatural power to provide protection from evil and sickness, give good fortune, lend aid in athletic undertakings, or even allow one to achieve immortality. Mercury poisoning is an iatrogenic disease even today as people attempt to achieve these effects through volitional injections into their body by practitioners. Although an uncommon practice in the United States, awareness of patient presentation after volitional injections of elemental mercury is necessary for appropriate treatment of these patients. We aim to increase awareness of the cultural practice of subcutaneous injections of mercury, as it is uncommonly seen in the United States, to contribute a broader understanding to the patient's medical presentation and describe an approach and the impact of medical and surgical intervention. In this report, we describe a rare case of elemental mercury poisoning secondary to volitional subcutaneous injection to the arm. Initial management of care through chelation therapy and monitoring of renal and serum mercury levels in addition to symptoms of systemic spread was overseen by an internal medicine physician and poison control. Surgical intervention via full-thickness excision of the visible mercury to the right arm followed by local flap and skin grafting reconstruction was performed. Mercury poisoning from intentional subcutaneous administration is an uncommon patient presentation in the United States; however, knowledge of management of this rare condition is important for effective management of iatrogenic mercury toxicity.

The Causal Association Between Blood Lead and Sleep Disorders: Evidence from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Mendelian Randomization Analysis

BackgroundPoor sleep quality is a global public health concern. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for sleep disorders and clarify their causal effects.MethodsData were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and Mendelian randomization (MR)-Base databases. Baseline characteristics of individuals with and without sleep disorders were compared. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate the effects of each variable on sleep disorders. Causal effects of blood lead levels and hypertension on sleep disorders were assessed using MR analysis.ResultsIn total, 3660 individuals were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of self-reported sleep disorders was 26.21%. Serum lead level, serum mercury level, serum retinol level, prevalence of hypertension, and daily vigorous work duration were significantly higher for those in the sleep disorders group than the control group. After adjusting for various covariates, the effects of serum lead and hypertension on sleep disorders were stable from logistic regression models 1–4. MR analysis showed that blood lead levels were causally related to the risk of sleep disorders (odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.17, P = 0.030). There was no causal link between elevated blood pressure and sleep disorders (OR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.94–1.04, P = 0.757). Goodness-of-fit tests and sensitivity analyses were used to verify the reliability of the results.ConclusionsBlood lead is positively and causally associated with an increased risk of sleep disorders. These findings provide a novel perspective regarding sleep protection. Taking effective measures to reduce lead exposure may significantly improve sleep health.

Assessment of Liver Enzymes among Gold Mining Workers in Alabedia Souk Nile River Sudan

This study aims to measure the liver enzymes among gold mining workers and compare them with a group of healthy subjects as a control sample. This cross-sectional study was conducted Alabedia market, Nile River, Sudan. The study included 70 people, the gold prospectors by mercury as a test group (50 people) and healthy (20 people) as a control group. The venous blood samples were collected from the two groups to measure the rates of Hg liver enzymes. Statistical analysis of the results reviled that, there was a significant increase in serum level of ALP in the test group (82.8 IU/L) when compared with the control group (70.25.1IU/L) with a P. value of 0.013, and an increase in serum level of ALT in the test group was (21.18 IU/L) when compared with a control group of (26.96.1IU/L) with P. value of 0.003. Statistical analysis of the results reviled that, there was no significant increase in serum level of AST when compared with a control group with a P-value of 0.071. The mean level of serum mercury in the test group was (62.17) and in the control group was (0.72) with P. value of <0.001. This study established that there is a significant increase in the levels of serum mercury compared to the control group. The new workers are more exposed to mercury than the older workers because the new workers have no experience in contact with gold mining extraction.

Associations between environmental heavy metals exposure and preserved ratio impaired spirometry in the U.S. adults

We examined 9556 individuals aged 18 to 79 years who had information on spirometry testing and heavy metals and used multivariable logistic or linear regression to evaluate associations between serum levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury and PRISm and lung function in U.S. adults, which were conducted first in all participants, and then separately in never/former smokers and current smokers. The overall prevalence of PRISm was 7.02%. High levels of serum cadmium were significantly associated with PRISm in all individuals, no matter in never/former smokers (quartile 4 vs 1, the OR = 2.517, 95% CI = 1.376–4.604, p-trend = 0.0077) and current smokers (quartile 4 vs 1, the OR = 2.201, 95% CI = 1.265–3.830, p-trend = 0.0020). Serum lead and mercury were not significantly correlated with PRISm, regardless of smoking status. Serum cadmium was strongly correlated with lower FEV1/FVC, regardless of smoking status. Besides, serum cadmium was also significantly related to lower FVC % predicted in never/former smokers and lower FEV1% predicted in current smokers. Serum lead was strongly correlated with lower FVC % predicted and FEV1/FVC in all individuals and never/former smokers. And serum mercury was significantly associated with decrements in FVC % predicted in all individuals and current smokers. These findings demonstrate that serum cadmium is associated with a higher risk of PRISm and lower lung function, with the most significant effect on FEV1/FVC in particular. Our results also indicate that exposure to lead and mercury negatively affects lung function in never/former smokers and current smokers, respectively.

Serum mercury is not associated with incident diabetes in a cohort of older Americans: findings from the REGARDS study

Serum mercury is not associated with incident diabetes in a cohort of older Americans: findings from the REGARDS study

An evaluation of the effects of mixed heavy metals on prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: epidemiological and toxicogenomic analysis.

The link between mixed heavy metals (mercury, lead, and cadmium), prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), especially molecular mechanisms, is poorly understood. Thus, we aimed to identify the association between mixed heavy metals and T2DM and its components using a data set from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We further analyzed the main molecular mechanisms implicated in T2DM development induced by mixed heavy metals using in-silico analysis. Our findings observed that serum mercury was associated with prediabetes, elevated glucose, and ln2-transformed glucose when using different statistical methods. "AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications", "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease", "metabolic Syndrome X", and three miRNAs (hsa-miR-98-5p, hsa-let-7a-5p, and hsa-miR-34a-5p) were listed as the most important molecular mechanisms related to T2DM development caused by mixed heavy metals. These miRNA sponge structures were created and examined, and they may be beneficial in the treatment of T2DM. The predicted cutoff values for three heavy metal levels linked to T2DM and its components were specifically identified. Our results imply that chronic exposure to heavy metals, particularly mercury, may contribute to the development of T2DM. To understand the changes in the pathophysiology of T2DM brought on by a combination of heavy metals, more research is required.

Association Between Serum Trace Heavy Metals and Liver Function Among Adolescents.

Exposure to metals has been associated with liver-related disease. Few studies have explored the effect of sex stratification on adolescent liver function. From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2016), 1143 subjects aged 12-19 years were selected for analysis. The outcome variables were the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. The results showed a positive association between serum zinc and ALT in boys (odds ratio [OR], 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-5.06). Serum mercury was associated with an increase in ALT level in girls (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.14-6.57). Mechanistically, the efficacy mediated by total cholesterol accounted for 24.38% and 6.19% of the association between serum zinc and ALT. The results imply that serum heavy metals were associated with the risk of liver injury, possibly mediated by serum cholesterol, in adolescents.

The association between serum mercury concentration and mild cognitive impairment: the REGARDS study

AbstractBackgroundAnimal studies have demonstrated the toxicology and pathology of mercury in relation to brain function. However, human studies provided mixed findings in relation to cognitive aging. This study aims to examine the association between serum mercury concentration and the incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).MethodParticipants were from a random sub‐cohort (n = 2666) of the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort study (2003–present). After excluding participants with baseline MCI and stroke, and those with missing baseline serum mercury concentration, the final sample size was 2136. Participants were classified into tertiles based on serum mercury concentration (<0.023, 0.023–0.049, and >0.049 µg/dL). MCI was determined primarily based on most recent performance on the enhanced cognitive battery (ECB) containing assessments of Word List Learning, Delayed Recall, Animal Fluency, and letter F Fluency. For those who did not have a score on ECB (n = 474), the Six Item Screener (SIS) was used to determine MCI instead. Therefore, the outcome included three levels: MCI based on the ECB, MCI based on the SIS, and control. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess serum mercury concentration in relation to incident MCI. We also performed stratified analyses to assess whether gender and race modified the potential associations. All tests were two‐sided with α = 0.05.ResultThe number of participants with MCI on the ECB and SIS were 48 and 36, respectively. After adjustment for the demographic and clinical characteristics in model 2 (Table 1), the direction suggests a positive association between mercury and incident MCI, although this is not statistically significant presumably due to insufficient statistical power (Tertile 3 vs. tertile 1: odds ratio (OR), 1.68; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.79–3.55; P for trend = 0.025). After further adjustment for fish oil intake, the association became significant (OR: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.003‐6.55; P for trend = 0.043). The observed association was not materially modified by sex or race. We did not observe an association between serum mercury and impairment on SIS.ConclusionThis prospective study suggests that serum mercury concentrations are associated with incident MCI assessed by ECB in US population.

Assessment of blood mercury, immune response, heat shock and oxidative stress marker in free-ranging chicken (Gallus Gallus domesticus) from gold mining areas in Zamfara State, Nigeria

We investigated serum mercury, immune response, heat shock and oxidative stress marker in free-ranging chicken (Gallus Gallus domesticus) from Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) areas. Six groups were created from sixty free-ranging chickens (Gallus Gallus domesticus), three each from ASGM and non-ASGM areas. Immune response, heat shock and oxidative stress markers were analysed, and multivariate and univariate data analysis were used to discriminate the difference in the study group. Results revealed a significant increase in serum mercury (Hg) from chicken in ASGM areas. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione (GSH), catalase and total antioxidant capacity significantly decreased, while lactic acid dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde (MDA) content significantly increased in animals from ASGM areas. A unit increase in GPx and GSH significantly corresponds to a decrease in serum Hg by 0.001 μg/mL and 0.206 μg/mL, respectively. While a unit increase in MDA significantly corresponds to an increase in serum Hg level by 0.003 μg/mL. The activities of HSP-70, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly higher in the serum of chicken from ASGM areas. All significance at p < 0.05. ASGM activities result in mercury bioaccumulation with potential health effects caused by dysregulated immunity, heat shock and oxidative stress.

The effect of residential proximity to brownfields, highways, and heavy traffic on serum metal levels in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study.

Research in environmental sciences has demonstrated that land in close proximity to brownfields and heavily trafficked highways is contaminated with toxic metals. Despite this, little is known about the influence of brownfields and highways on metal levels in residents living nearby. We used data from 774 participants in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study to estimate the effect of residential proximity to brownfields, highways, and present-day traffic on serum levels of lead, mercury, manganese, and copper using generalized estimating equations. We found that a 1 standard deviation increase in residential brownfield density within 200m was associated with increased serum lead levels (β: 0.04, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.09). The same modeled increase in a subset of historic industrial-use brownfields was associated with elevated serum mercury (β: 0.06, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.09). Increased highway and traffic density was positively associated with serum manganese (β: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.04). Highway and traffic density was also positively associated with serum lead (β: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.03) after restricting the analysis to participants who did not move during the study follow-up period. These findings draw attention to the importance of remediating polluted post-industrial sites in heavily populated areas, particularly as residents continue to move into densely populated cities around the globe.

Traditional indigenous medicines are an etiologic consideration for NELL1-positive membranous nephropathy

Traditional indigenous medicines are an etiologic consideration for NELL1-positive membranous nephropathy

The Relationship Between Plasma MicroRNAs and Serum Mercury Levels in Patients with Amalgam Filling and Dentists

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum mercury and some plasma microRNA (miRNA) levels associated with neurological diseases in patients with amalgam filling and dentists. &#x0D; Methods: This study included 30 patients with amalgam filling, 30 dentists, and 30 healthy individuals as the control group. Circulating plasma miRNAs (124-3p, 125-5p, and 127-3p) were evaluated using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. The serum mercury levels were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple comparison tests were used for statistical analyses (α =.05). &#x0D; Results: A significant difference in serum mercury and plasma miRNA levels was found between the groups. Significant positive correlations between serum mercury and plasma miRNA 125-5p and 127-3p levels were detected in the patient group (r: 0.56 and r: 0.39, respectively). Serum mercury and plasma miRNA-125-5p levels showed a positive correlation in the dentist group (r: 0.37). &#x0D; Conclusion: Having amalgam filling caused a significant increase in serum mercury and plasma miRNA levels. The presence of a positive correlation suggests that sensitivity to neurological diseases may increase because of mercury exposure. Alternative restorative materials should be preferred for amalgam filling and amalgam fillings should be replaced with other restorative materials under necessary preventions.

Effects of heavy metals on hypertension during menopause: a Korean community-based cross-sectional study.

To examine the associations between serum cadmium, lead, and mercury and hypertension in pre- and postmenopausal women. Serum heavy metal (cadmium, lead, and mercury) levels were analyzed in 7,226 randomly selected women who participated in Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2009 to 2017. Odds ratios (ORs) for hypertension were calculated for log2-transformed serum heavy metal levels, median tertile levels of serum cadmium, mercury, and lead, and for interactions between heavy metal levels and tertiles, after covariate adjustment. A doubling of serum cadmium was associated with hypertension in premenopausal (OR 2.47; 95% CI, 1.01-6.10, P = 0.049) and postmenopausal women (OR 1.70; 95% CI, 1.02-2.84, P = 0.043), and significant trends were observed for cadmium tertiles (P < 0.01). In premenopausal women, a two-fold increase in serum mercury increased the OR of hypertension by 3.08 (95% CI, 1.12-8.43, P = 0.029), and significant trends were also observed for serum mercury tertiles (P < 0.01). Interactions between serum cadmium, lead, and mercury levels in pre- and postmenopausal women were found to impact the prevalence of hypertension. Given increasing exposure to heavy metals in Korea, further prospective study is needed to identify associations between heavy metal exposures, both separately and in combination, with the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in well-characterized cohorts of different populations and to determine means of preventing heavy metal exposure.

Assessment of the hyperlipidemia risk for residents exposed to potential emitted metals in the vicinity of a petrochemical complex.

Hyperlipidemia, which is associated with certain environmental factors, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Heavy metals are important pollutants from industrial emissions. However, the relationship between the exposure to heavy metals and the occurrence of hyperlipidemia is limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum metal levels and the risk of hyperlipidemia in adults living near a petrochemical complex. Our study subjects were 959 residents aged above 35years in 11 townships near the largest petrochemical complex in central Taiwan. The serum levels of chromium, arsenic, and mercury in the study subjects were measured. The basic characteristics of the study subjects were collected via a questionnaire survey, and the levels of blood lipid biomarkers were analyzed by health examination. The definition of hyperlipidemia was defined in the provided guidelines. Adjusted generalized linear and logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the associations between petrochemical-related metal exposure and hyperlipidemia. The study subjects had chromium, arsenic, and mercury serum levels of 3.24±3.45, 3.45±4.66, and 1.24±1.08 (μg/L), respectively, and close proximity of the study subjects to the petrochemical complex was significantly associated with increased serum metal levels. The results showed that the total cholesterol levels were significantly associated with the increased serum chromium, arsenic, and mercury levels. And, the LDL-C levels were significantly associated with the increased serum mercury levels. In addition, the increased serum arsenic and mercury levels of the study subjects were significantly associated with higher odds ratios for abnormal total cholesterol levels and the risk of hyperlipidemia. Residing in close proximity to a petrochemical complex and high arsenic and mercury exposure were associated with elevated blood lipid levels and an increased risk of hyperlipidemia among the residential population in the vicinity of the petrochemical industry.

Effect of Fish Frequency Consumption on Serum Mercury Levels in Pregnant Mothers and their Newborns

Mercury is a ubiquitous cumulative element which is existed and contaminated in many forms; the most common route is fish intake. The purpose of this work was to study the link between the rate of fishy food consumption and serum mercury level in both pregnant mothers and cord blood of their newborns. This study consisted of 70 pregnant women and their neonates. The study samples were collected from the maternal blood and cord blood of their newborns at the delivery time. The mean of gestational age for their neonates is (36.9 ± 2.1) weeks. Detailed food frequency questionnaire was taken to evaluate the frequency of fish consumption per week, and approximate frequency per month. Measurement of serum mercury level was done using inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry. This study finds highly significant increase (P ˂0.01) in serum mercury level either in maternal blood or in their newborns’ cord blood in a manner dependent on the frequency of fish consumption. High significant positive correlation (P ˂0.01) has been recorded between maternal mercury level and cord blood mercury level of their newborns. Also, the frequency of fish consumption is high significantly correlated with mercury level in each of maternal blood and cord blood of their newborns (P ˂0.01). Hence, the study concludes that mercury tends to accumulate in fish food chains reaching the human beings. Frequency of fish consumption per month affects the level of mercury in mothers and their neonates.

Mercury Materno-fetal Burden and Its Nutritional Impact.

BACKGROUND:Mercury exists worldwide in food, water and air throwing its health hazards on all body systems.AIM:To show the influence of the presence of mercury in pregnant mothers’ blood on its level in the umbilical cord blood; and to display the relationship between the different foodstuff on the mercury levels in pregnant mothers’ and umbilical cord blood.PATIENTS AND METHODS:This cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly chosen 113 pregnant mothers at the time of labour and on their newborns. Full history, sociodemographic data and food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment were recorded. The Maternal and neonatal anthropometric measurements together with the Apgar scoring were also measured. Serum mercury levels in both mothers’ and umbilical cord blood were measured using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).RESULTS:A high percentage of mothers (82.3%) were exposed to passive smoking. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the maternal and fetal umbilical cord blood mercury levels (p = 0.002). There was an insignificant negative correlation between the maternal blood and fetal umbilical cord blood mercury levels on one side and each of the different foodstuff on the other side (fish, vegetables, fruits and proteins, for example, meat and legumes). An insignificant positive correlation was found between dairy products and of the maternal blood and umbilical cord blood mercury levels.CONCLUSION:The fetal umbilical cord blood mercury levels correlate positively with the maternal blood mercury. The different foodstuff can influence the maternal and umbilical cord blood mercury levels whether by increase or decrease. Strict measures should be taken to decrease environmental mercury contamination with attention to pregnant mothers.

Serum mercury concentration and the risk of ischemic stroke: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Trace Element Study

BackgroundAlthough biologically plausible, epidemiological evidence linking exposure to methylmercury with increased risk of ischemic stroke is limited. The effects of methylmercury may be modified by selenium, which is an anti-oxidant that often co-exists with mercury in fish. ObjectivesTo examine the association between serum mercury levels with the incidence of ischemic stroke and to explore the possible effect modifications by serum selenium levels and demographic and geographic factors. MethodsA case-cohort study was designed nested in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort, including 662 adjudicated incident cases of ischemic stroke and 2494 participants in a randomly selected sub-cohort. Serum mercury was measured using samples collected at recruitment. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the Barlow-weighting method for the Cox proportional hazards regression model. ResultsNo statistically significant association was observed between serum mercury concentration and the incidence of ischemic stroke (the highest vs. lowest quintile of mercury levels: HR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.55–1.22; P for linear trend = 0.42). Sex (P for interaction = 0.06), but not serum selenium levels, modified the association; a more evident trend toward lower incidence of ischemic stroke with higher mercury levels was observed among women. ConclusionThis study does not support an association between mercury and the incidence of ischemic stroke within a population with low-to-moderate level of exposure. Further studies are needed to explore the possibility of mercury-induced ischemic stroke toxicity in other populations at higher exposure levels.

Serum heavy metals and lung function in a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cohort

This study was performed to evaluate the potential association between serum heavy metal levels and lung function in a cohort of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. We analyzed data from 152 subjects enrolled in a cohort study on COPD from 2012 to 2013 and living in a dusty area. In total, 152 subjects from the cohort study were enrolled; 111 were diagnosed with OLD. There was a significant association between post-bronchodilator FEV1 and serum mercury level after adjusting for age, gender and smoking status (p=0.03). Following the adjustment, a significantly higher prevalence of OLD was observed in subjects in the highest mercury concentration tertile (p=0.03). The risk of OLD was significantly higher for subjects in the higher mercury concentration (odds ratio, 3.62; 95% confidence interval: 1.29-10.18) than in those in the lowest tertile. In conclusion, serum mercury level may be a risk factor for reduced lung function and OLD.

Human Mercury Exposure Associated with Artisanal Gold Miners in Sudan

Background: Mercury concentration in the blood is one of mercury exposure biomarkers. This study was conducted in Abuhamed mining area in Sudan, during the period from August 2012 to November 2014.The aim of the study was to evaluate serum mercury levels and to assess lung functions in artisanal gold miners. Methods: The study included 123 subjects, of them 83 were working in the gold mining area, beside 50 healthy volunteers from Khartoum State, as control group. Serum mercury was measured by direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80). Lung function tests were done with a portable spirometer. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. Results: The study observed significant increase in serum mercury levels in the gold miners, when compared with control group (24.9 ± 32.24μg/l) versus (1.40 ± 0.94μg/l) with P value (0.000). The mean forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) in the gold miners was (3.24 ± 0.57) versus (3.40 ± 0.39) in the control group, while the mean forced vital capacity (FVC) in the mercury exposed miners was (3.7 ± 0.69) versus (3.86 ± 0.60) in non-exposed control group. Conclusion: Serum mercury levels significantly increase in the traditional gold miners working in Abuhamed, while forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) decrease but with no statistical significance.

A 3 Year-Old Male Child Ingested Approximately 750 Grams of Elemental Mercury.

The oral ingestion of elemental mercury is unlikely to cause systemic toxicity, as it is poorly absorbed through the gastrointestinal system. However, abnormal gastrointestinal function or anatomy may allow elemental mercury into the bloodstream and the peritoneal space. Systemic effects of massive oral intake of mercury have rarely been reported. In this paper, we are presenting the highest single oral intake of elemental mercury by a child aged 3 years. A Libyan boy aged 3 years ingested approximately 750 grams of elemental mercury and was still asymptomatic. The patient had no existing disease or abnormal gastrointestinal function or anatomy. The physical examination was normal. His serum mercury level was 91 µg/L (normal: <5 µg/L), and he showed no clinical manifestations. Exposure to mercury in children through different circumstances remains a likely occurrence.