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- Broberg, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Gene-Environment Interactions for Metals
- 2014. - 4th
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In: Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals. - 9780444594532 - 9780123973399 ; 1, s. 239-264
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It has become increasingly clear that the individual genetic background influences susceptibility to metal toxicity. Genetic variation in genes that regulate metal toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics influence the degree of metal accumulation and retention in the body, as well as toxic effects. Moreover, factors that regulate gene expression, so-called epigenetic factors, have been identified as targets for metal toxicity. This chapter addresses what is currently known about such gene-environment interactions. The picture that emerges for most metals is that the genetic influence is probably not attributed to a single gene for each metal; rather it is polygenic, with some genes having a stronger effect than others. The presence of variants of the human leukocyte antigen system and the risk of beryllium-related pulmonary disease was one of the first and maybe the strongest example of a gene-environment interaction. There are also clear gene-environment interactions for arsenic and lead. Evidence is rapidly growing for epigenetic effects of metals, e.g. for arsenic, cadmium, and lead, which may explain the association between metal exposure early in life and toxic effects later in life, as well as metal carcinogenicity.
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- Broberg Palmgren, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Lithium in Drinking Water and Thyroid Function
- 2011
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In: Environmental Health Perspectives. - : Environmental Health Perspectives. - 1552-9924 .- 0091-6765. ; 119:6, s. 827-830
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: High concentrations of lithium in drinking water were previously discovered in the Argentinean Andes Mountains. Lithium is used worldwide for treatment of bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression. One known side effect is altered thyroid function. OBJECTIVES: We assessed associations between exposure to lithium from drinking water and other environmental sources and thyroid function. METHODS: Women (n = 202) were recruited in four Andean villages in northern Argentina. Lithium exposure was assessed based on concentrations in spot urine samples, measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Thyroid function was evaluated by plasma free thyroxine (T-4) and pituitary gland thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), analyzed by routine immuno metric methods. RESULTS: The median urinary lithium concentration was 3,910 mu g/L (5th, 95th percentiles, 270 mu g/L, 10,400 mu g/L). Median plasma concentrations (5th, 95th percentiles) of T-4 and TSH were 17 pmol/L (13 pmol/L, 21 pmol/L) and 1.9 mIU/L, (0.68 mIU/L, 4.9 mIU/L), respectively. Urine lithium was inversely associated with T-4 [beta for a 1,000-mu g/L increase = -0.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.31 to -0.068; p = 0.002] and positively associated with TSH (beta = 0.096; 95% CI, 0.033 to 0.16; p = 0.003). Both associations persisted after adjustment (for T-4, beta = -0.17; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.015; p = 0.032; for TSH: beta = 0.089; 95% CI, 0.024 to 0.15; p = 0.007). Urine selenium was positively associated with T-4 (adjusted T-4 for a 1 mu g/L increase: beta = 0.041; 95% CI, 0.012 to 0.071; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to lithium via drinking water and other environmental sources may affect thyroid function, consistent with known side effects of medical treatment with lithium. This stresses the need to screen for lithium in all drinking water sources.
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- Engström, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Chronic exposure to cadmium and arsenic strongly influences concentrations of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine in urine.
- 2010
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In: Free Radical Biology & Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0891-5849 .- 1873-4596. ; 48:9, s. 1211-1217
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Exposure to arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) may generate oxidative stress, which can be assessed by 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in urine, a sensitive marker of oxidatively damaged DNA. We have evaluated oxidative stress induced by mixed chronic exposure to As, Cd, Pb, as well as the influence of As metabolism and nutritional status, i.e. ferritin (Ft), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and body weight. 8-oxodG was measured in urine from 212 women in early pregnancy from Matlab, rural Bangladesh, using LC-MS/MS. Cd and Pb were analyzed in urine and erythrocytes, while Se, Mn and Zn were analyzed in erythrocytes, all by ICPMS. As and As metabolites were analyzed in urine by HPLC-ICPMS. Ferritin was analyzed in plasma by radioimmunoassay. Median concentration of 8-oxodG was 8.3 nmol/L (adjusted for specific gravity), range 1.2-43, corresponding to a median of 4.7 mug/g creatinine, range 1.8-32. 8-oxodG was positively associated with urinary Cd (ss=0.32, p<0.001), urinary As (ss=0.0007, p=0.001), fraction of the monomethylated arsenic metabolite (MMA) in urine (ss=0.0026, p=0.004) and plasma Ft (ss = 0.20, p<0.001). A joint effect was seen for U-Cd and U-As, but whether this effect was additive or multiplicative was difficult to discern.
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- Engström, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Efficient Arsenic Metabolism - The AS3MT Haplotype Is Associated with DNA Methylation and Expression of Multiple Genes Around AS3MT.
- 2013
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Arsenic is a very potent toxicant. One major susceptibility factor for arsenic-related toxicity is the efficiency of arsenic metabolism. The efficiency, in turn, is associated with non-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the arsenic methyltransferase AS3MT on chromosome 10q24. However, the mechanism of action for these SNPs is not yet clarified. Here, we assessed the influence of genetic variation in AS3MT on DNA methylation and gene expression within 10q24, in people exposed to arsenic in drinking water. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood from women in the Argentinean Andes (N = 103) and from cord blood from new-borns in Bangladesh (N = 127). AS3MT SNPs were analyzed with Sequenom or Taqman assays. Whole genome epigenetic analysis with Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip was performed on bisulphite-treated DNA. Whole genome gene expression analysis was performed with Illumina DirectHyb HumanHT-12 v4.0 on RNA from peripheral blood. Arsenic exposure was assessed by HPLC-ICPMS. In the Argentinean women, the major AS3MT haplotype, associated with more efficient arsenic metabolism, showed increased methylation of AS3MT (p = 10(-6)) and also differential methylation of several other genes within about 800 kilobasepairs: CNNM2 (p<10(-16)), NT5C2 (p<10(-16)), C10orf26 (p = 10(-8)), USMG5 (p = 10(-5)), TRIM8 (p = 10(-4)), and CALHM2 (p = 0.038) (adjusted for multiple comparisons). Similar, but weaker, associations between AS3MT haplotype and DNA methylation in 10q24 were observed in cord blood (Bangladesh). The haplotype-associated altered CpG methylation was correlated with reduced expression of AS3MT and CNNM2 (r(s) = -0.22 to -0.54), and with increased expression of NT5C2 and USMG5 (r(s) = 0.25 to 0.58). Taking other possibly influential variables into account in multivariable linear models did only to a minor extent alter the strength of the associations. In conclusion, the AS3MT haplotype status strongly predicted DNA methylation and gene expression of AS3MT as well as several genes in 10q24. This raises the possibility that several genes in this region are important for arsenic metabolism.
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- Engström, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of the impact of genetic polymorphisms in glutathione-related genes on the association between methylmercury or n-3 polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids and risk of myocardial infarction : a case-control study
- 2011
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In: Environmental Health. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1476-069X. ; 10:33
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, which are present in fish, are protective against myocardial infarction. However, fish also contains methylmercury, which influences the risk of myocardial infarction, possibly by generating oxidative stress. Methylmercury is metabolized by conjugation to glutathione, which facilitates elimination. Glutathione is also an antioxidant. Individuals with certain polymorphisms in glutathione-related genes may tolerate higher exposures to methylmercury, due to faster metabolism and elimination and/or better glutathione-associated antioxidative capacity. They would thus benefit more from the protective agents in fish, such as eicosapentaenoic+docosahexaenoic acid and selenium. The objective for this study was to elucidate whether genetic polymorphisms in glutathione-related genes modify the association between eicosapentaenoic+docosahexaenoic acid or methylmercury and risk of first ever myocardial infarction. Methods: Polymorphisms in glutathione-synthesizing (glutamyl-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit, GCLC and glutamyl-cysteine ligase modifier subunit, GCLM) or glutathione-conjugating (glutathione S-transferase P, GSTP1) genes were genotyped in 1027 individuals from northern Sweden (458 cases of first-ever myocardial infarction and 569 matched controls). The impact of these polymorphisms on the association between erythrocyte-mercury (proxy for methylmercury) and risk of myocardial infarction, as well as between plasma eicosapentaenoic+docosahexaenoic acid and risk of myocardial infarction, was evaluated by conditional logistic regression. The effect of erythrocyte-selenium on risk of myocardial infarction was also taken into consideration. Results: There were no strong genetic modifying effects on the association between plasma eicosapentaenoic+docosahexaenoic acid or erythrocyte-mercury and risk of myocardial infarction risk. When eicosapentaenoic+docosahexaenoic acid or erythrocyte-mercury were divided into tertiles, individuals with GCLM-588 TT genotype displayed a lower risk relative to the CC genotype in all but one tertile; in most tertiles the odds ratio was around 0.5 for TT. However, there were few TT carriers and the results were not statistically significant. The results were similar when taking plasma eicosapentaenoic+docosahexaenoic acid, erythrocyte-selenium and erythrocyte-mercury into account simultaneously. Conclusions: No statistically significant genetic modifying effects were seen for the association between plasma eicosapentaenoic+docosahexaenoic acid or erythrocyte-mercury and risk of myocardial infarction. Still, our results indicate that the relatively rare GCLM-588 TT genotype may have an impact, but a larger study is necessary for confirmation.
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| 8. |
- Engström, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Hazards with electrocautery-induced decomposition of fatty acids - in view of lipid embolization
- 2010
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In: Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1401-7431 .- 1651-2006. ; 44:5, s. 307-312
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives. Electrocautery is an appreciated surgical tool, which however, generates immense heat and fat-tissue melting. In cardiac surgery, liquefied fat collects on the surface of blood in the pericardial cavity and becomes aspirated by the heart-lung machine for aortic recycling. Deposits seen in the brain microcirculation after surgery are caused by lipid embolism. This study investigates lipid chemistry, whether heat from electrocautery generates fatty-acid fragmentation and decomposition. Design. Pericardial fat tissue was sampled from cardiac-surgery patients and from piglets. The human tissue was exposed to electrocautery, or to fixed temperatures in an in vitro model. Fatty-acid decomposition was explored by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography and the distribution of fatty acids was measured. Results. Fatty-acid decomposition demonstrated a temperature-effect relationship (p=0.007). At 350 degrees C the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids became heavily reduced or were abolished (p=0.016). Electrocautery resulted in similar changes. Conclusions. Electrocautery induces a profound fatty-acid fragmentation to form short-chained compounds. The chemical and toxic nature of these compounds remains to be determined, including their clinical implications at blood recycling in cardiac surgery.
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| 9. |
- Engström, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Low 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine levels and influence of genetic background in an Andean population exposed to high levels of arsenic.
- 2010
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In: Mutation Research - Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-2871 .- 0027-5107. ; 683:1-2, s. 98-105
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Arsenic (As) causes oxidative stress through generation of reactive oxygen species. 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), a sensitive marker of oxidative DNA damage, has been associated with As exposure in some studies, but not in others, possibly due to population-specific genetic factors. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between As and 8-oxodG in urine in a population with a low urinary monomethylated As (%MMA) and high dimethylated As (%DMA), as well as the genetic impact on (a) 8-oxodG concentrations and (b) the association between As and 8-oxodG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women (N=108) in the Argentinean Andes were interviewed and urine was analyzed for arsenic metabolites (ICPMS) and 8-oxodG (LC-MS/MS). Twenty-seven polymorphisms in genes related to oxidative stress and one in As(+III)methyltransferase (AS3MT) were studied. RESULTS: Median concentration of 8-oxodG was 4.7nmol/L (adjusted for specific weight; range 1.6-13, corresponding to 1.7mug/g creatinine, range 0.57-4.8) and of total urinary As metabolites (U-As) 290mug/L (range 94-720; 380mug/g creatinine, range 140-1100). Concentrations of 8-oxodG were positively associated with %MMA (strongest association, p=0.013), and weakly associated with U-As (positively) and %DMA (negatively). These associations were strengthened when taking ethnicity into account, possibly reflecting genetic differences in As metabolism and genes regulating oxidative stress and DNA maintenance. A genetic influence on 8-oxodG concentrations was seen for polymorphisms in apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APEX1), DNA-methyltransferases 1 and 3b (DNMT1, DNMT3B), thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) and 2 (TXNRD2) and glutaredoxin (GLRX). CONCLUSION: Despite high As exposure, the concentrations of 8-oxodG in this population were low compared with other As-exposed populations studied. The strongest association was found for %MMA, stressing that some inconsistencies between As and 8-oxodG partly depend on population variations in As metabolism. We found evidence of genetic impact on 8-oxodG concentrations.
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| 10. |
- Engström, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Polymorphisms in Arsenic(+III)methyltransferase (AS3MT) Predict Gene Expression of AS3MT as well as Arsenic Metabolism.
- 2011
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In: Environmental Health Perspectives. - : Environmental Health Perspectives. - 1552-9924 .- 0091-6765. ; 119, s. 182-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Arsenic is mono- (MMA) and dimethylated (DMA) in humans and the methylation pattern demonstrates large inter-individual differences. The fraction of urinary MMA is a marker for susceptibility to arsenic-related diseases. Objectives: The impact of polymorphisms in five methyltransferase genes on arsenic metabolism was evaluated in two populations, one in South America, one in southeast Asia. The methyltransferase genes were arsenic(+III)methyltransferase (AS3MT), DNAmethyltransferase 1a and 3b (DNMT1a, DNMT3b), phosphatidylethanolamine Nmethyltransferase (PEMT) and betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT). AS3MT expression was analyzed in peripheral blood. Methods: Subjects were women, exposed to arsenic in drinking water in the Argentinean Andes (N=172; median urinary arsenic 200 μg/L) and in rural Bangladesh (N=361; 100 μg/L, all in early pregnancy). Urinary arsenic metabolites were measured by HPLC-ICPMS. Polymorphisms (N=22) were genotyped with Sequenom™. AS3MT expression was measured with qPCR using TaqMan® expression assays. Results: Six AS3MT polymorphisms were significantly associated with arsenic metabolite patterns in both populations (p-values ≤0.01). The most frequent AS3MT haplotype in Bangladesh was associated with higher %MMA, and the most frequent in Argentina with lower %MMA and higher %DMA. Four polymorphisms in the DNMTs were associated with metabolite patterns in Bangladesh. Non-coding AS3MT polymorphisms affected gene expression of AS3MT in peripheral blood, demonstrating that one functional impact of AS3MT polymorphisms may be altering levels of gene expression. Conclusions: Polymorphisms in AS3MT significantly predicted As metabolism across these two very different populations, suggesting that AS3MT may have an impact on As metabolite patterns in populations worldwide.
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