Co-exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, microRNA expression, and early health damage in coke oven workers. (January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deng, Qifei; Dai, Xiayun; Feng, Wei; Huang, Suli; Yuan, Yu; Xiao, Yongmei; Zhang, Zhaorui; Deng, Na; Deng, Huaxin; Zhang, Xiao; Kuang, Dan; Li, Xiaohai; Zhang, Wangzhen; Zhang, Xiaomin; Guo, Huan; Wu, Tangchun
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 122(2019)
• Page Start: 369
• Page End: 380
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Subjects: PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- PM particulate matter -- ROS reactive oxygen species -- miRNA microRNA -- COE coke oven emission -- EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid -- OH-PAH monohydroxy-PAH -- OH-Nap hydroxynaphthalene -- OH-Flu hydroxyfluorene -- OH-Phe hydroxyphenanthrene -- 1-OH-Pyr 1-hydroxypyrene -- LOQ limits of quantification -- ∑OH-Nap the sum of two OH-Nap -- ∑OH-Flu the sum of two OH-Flu -- ∑OH-Phe the sum of five OH-Phe -- ∑OH-PAHs the sum of ten OH-PAHs -- BPDE-Alb adducts benzo[a]pyrene-r-7, t-8, t-9, c-10-tetrahydotetrol-albumin adducts -- ELISA sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay -- Ct cycle threshold -- OTM Olive tail moment -- tail DNA% percent DNA in the tail -- MN micronucleus -- 8-OH-dG 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine -- 8-isoPGF2α 8-isoprostaglandin-F2α -- HRV heart rate variability -- SDNN standard deviation of all normal to normal NN intervals -- rMSSD square root of the mean of squared differences of adjacent NN intervals -- LF low-frequency power -- HF high-frequency power -- TP total power -- ln natural logarithm -- BMI body mass index -- ∑metals the sum of 23 metals -- FDR false discovery rate -- LASSO least absolute shrinkage and selection operator -- MSE mean squared error -- βstd standardized coefficients -- CI confidence interval -- SD standard deviation -- FR frequency ratio -- βinteraction regression coefficient of the interaction term -- pME p values for modifying effect -- IARC International Agency for Research on Cancer; Metals -- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- Co-exposure -- microRNAs -- Early health damage; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.11.056
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Abstract: Background: All humans are now co-exposed to multiple toxic chemicals, among which metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of special concern as they are often present at high levels in various human environments. They can also induce similar early health damage, such as genetic damage, oxidative stress, and heart rate variability (HRV). Exposure to metals, PAHs, and their combined pollutants can alter microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns. Objectives: To explore the associations of metal-PAH co-exposure with miRNA expression, and of the associated miRNAs with early health damage. Methods: We enrolled 360 healthy male coke oven workers and quantified their exposure levels of metals and PAHs by urinary metals, urinary monohydroxy-PAHs (OH-PAHs), and plasma benzo[ a ]pyrene- r -7, t -8, t -9, c -10-tetrahydotetrol-albumin (BPDE-Alb) adducts, respectively. We selected and measured ten miRNAs: let-7b-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-142-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-16-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-27a-3p, miR-28-5p, miR-320b, and miR-451a. For miRNAs influenced by the effect modification of metals or PAHs and/or metal-PAH interactions, we further evaluated their associations with biomarkers for genetic damage, oxidative stress, and HRV. Results: After adjusting for PAHs and other metals, miRNA expression was found to be negatively associated with aluminum, antimony, lead, and titanium, and positively associated with molybdenum and tin ( p < 0.05). Antimony showed modifying effects on the PAH-miRNA associations, while OH-PAHs and BPDE-Alb adducts modified the associations of metals with miRNAs ( p for modifying effect < 0.05). Furthermore, miRNA expression was influenced by the antagonistic interactions between antimony and OH-PAHs, and by the synergistical interactions between metals and BPDE-Alb adducts ( p interaction < 0.05). Let-7b-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-16-5p, and miR-320b were additionally found to be associated with increased genetic damage in the present study [false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted p < 0.05]. Conclusions: Associations of metal-PAH co-exposure with miRNA expression, and of associated miRNAs with early health damage, suggested potential mechanistic connections between the complex metal-PAH interactions and their deleterious effects that are worthy of further investigation. Highlights: Metals, such as antimony and titanium, were associated with miRNA expression. Metal-miRNA associations were modified by PAH exposure levels, and vice versa. Metals, especially antimony, interacted with PAHs to influence miRNA expression. MiRNAs affected by metal-PAH co-exposure were associated with early health damage.