Associations of Essential and Non-Essential Trace Elements' Levels in the Blood, Serum, and Urine in Women with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is poorly understood, with causes identified in only 25% of cases. Emerging evidence suggests links between trace elements (TEs) and POI. This study is the first to compare concentrations of manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) across urine, serum, and whole blood in women with POI compared to healthy controls (HC), aiming to explore their distribution and potential associations with POI.

Copper and zinc status in cord blood and breast milk and child's neurodevelopment at 18 months: Results of the Italian PHIME cohort.

Background: Trace elements, including zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), although toxic at higher concentrations are known to play important roles in the maintenance of human health and neurodevelopment. Few epidemiological studies have investigated the association between prenatal or early postnatal Cu and Zn levels and child neurodevelopment. The aim of this research is to assess the association between child neurodevelopment at 18 months of age and cord blood and breast milk concentrations of Cu and Zn in Italian mother-child pairs enrolled in the Italian Northern Adriatic Cohort II (NAC-II), a part of the "Public health impact of long-term, low-level, mixed element exposure in susceptible population strata" project PHIME.

Associations between APOE genotypes, urine 8-isoprostane and blood trace elements in middle-aged mothers (CROME study).

Background: There is almost no data on the combined associations between apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) genotypes, trace elements (TEs), and lipid peroxidation in vivo. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between APOE genotypes and TE levels in blood (B-TEs) and erythrocytes (E-TEs), and 8-isoprostane in urine (U-8-isoprostane) in women with low exposure to potentially toxic TEs and with adequate supply of essential TEs.

Methods: B-TEs, E-TEs and U-8-isoprostane were determined in 172 healthy women of childbearing age (30.

Genetic susceptibility to low-level lead exposure in men: Insights from ALAD polymorphisms.

The genetic susceptibility to low-level lead (Pb) exposure in general populations has been poorly investigated and is limited to the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1800435 in the delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase gene (ALAD). This study explored associations between ten selected ALAD SNPs with Pb concentrations in blood (BPb) and urine (UPb) among 281 men aged 18-49 years from Slovenia, including 20 individuals residing in a Pb-contaminated area. The geometric mean (range) of BPb and UPb were 19.

Reference intervals of 24 trace elements in blood, plasma and erythrocytes for the Slovenian adult population.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to establish the population- and laboratory-specific reference intervals (RIs) for the Slovenian adult population for 24 trace elements (TEs) in blood, plasma and erythrocytes and to evaluate the impact of gender, age, seafood consumption, smoking habits and amalgam fillings on TEs levels.

Methods: TEs (Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Se and Mo, Li, Be, V, Cr, Ni, Ga, As, Rb, Sr, Ag, Cd, Sn, Cs, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb and U) were determined in 192 selected blood donors (107 women and 85 men, aged 18-65 years), using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with the Octopole Reaction System. Participants filled out a questionnaire, and RIs were established according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines for TEs.

ALAD and APOE polymorphisms are associated with lead and mercury levels in Italian pregnant women and their newborns with adequate nutritional status of zinc and selenium.

The impacts of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ALAD and VDR genes on Pb health effects and/or kinetics are inconclusive at low exposure levels, while studies including APOE SNPs are rare. In this study, we examined the associations of ALAD, VDR and APOE SNPs with exposure biomarkers of Pb and other trace elements (TEs) in Italian pregnant women (N = 873, aged 18-44 years) and their newborns (N = 619) with low-level mixed-element exposure through diet, the environment or endogenously. DNA from maternal peripheral venous blood (mB), sampled during the second and third trimesters, was genotyped for ALAD (rs1800435, rs1805313, rs1139488, rs818708), VDR (rs2228570, rs1544410, rs7975232, rs731236) and APOE (rs429358, rs7421) using TaqMan SNP assays.

Association of Zn and Cu Levels in Cord Blood and Maternal Milk with Pregnancy Outcomes among the Slovenian Population.

Trace elements, including zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), are known to play important roles in human health. The present study aimed to assess the levels of Zn and Cu in cord blood and maternal milk and to analyze their association with maternal and infant characteristics and pregnancy outcomes in a Slovenian study population of mothers and their neonates recruited within the PHIME prospective cohort study. The study included 324 mothers, but the data on Zn and Cu levels in both cord blood and maternal milk was available for 243 mothers.

Trimethylselenonium ion determination in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography-hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry optimization of the hydride generation step.

This work describes the intricacies of the determination of the trimethylselenonium ion (TMSe) in human urine via high-performance liquid chromatography-hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-HG-AFS). By definition, this technique requires that the separated TMSe can be online converted into a volatile compound. Literature data for the determination of TMSe via the hydride generation technique are contradictory; i.

Assessment of susceptibility to phthalate and DINCH exposure through CYP and UGT single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of cytochrome P450 (CYPs) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGTs) genes have been proposed to influence phthalates and 1,2-cyclo-hexanedicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH) biotransformation but have not been investigated on a populational level. We investigated the role of SNPs in CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, UGT2B15, and UGT1A7 genes in the biotransformation of phthalates (DEHP, DEP, DiBP, DnBP, BBzP, DiNP, DidP) and DINCH by determining their urine metabolites. From the Slovenian study population of 274 men and 289 lactating primiparous women we obtained data on phthalate and DINCH urine metabolite levels (MEHP, 5OH-MEHP, 5oxo-MEHP, 5cx-MEPP, MEP, MiBP, MnBP, MBzP, cx-MINP, OH-MiDP, MCHP, MnPeP, MnOP, 5OH-MINCH, 5oxo-MINCH), SNP genotypes (rs1057910 = CYP2C9*3, rs1799853 = CYP2C9*2, rs4244285 = CYP2C19*2, rs12248560 = CYP2C19*17, rs3892097 = CYP2D6*4, rs1902023 = UGT2B15*2, and rs11692021 = UGT1A7*3) and questionnaires.

Spatial and temporal distribution of trace elements in Padina pavonica from the northern Adriatic Sea.

Chemical pollution is a major environmental concern especially in coastal areas, having adverse impacts on marine organisms and ecosystem services. Macroalgae can accumulate trace elements, but available studies are restricted to a limited number of elements and species. The goal of this research was to assess, seasonally, the concentrations of 22 elements in the brown alga Padina pavonica from monitoring sampling sites in Slovenian waters.

Arsenic in Sediments, Soil and Plants in a Remediated Area of the Iron Quadrangle, Brazil, and its Accumulation and Biotransformation in Eleocharis geniculata.

Since arsenic (As) exposure is largely due to geochemical contamination, this study focused on the remediated area of Santana do Morro, a district of Santa Bárbara, Minas Gerais, Brazil, which was previously contaminated with As due to gold mining. Total As concentrations in sediment, soil and plants were determined, next to As species, anionic arsenic compounds As(III), As(V), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), in plants samples. Total As concentrations in soil and sediments were slightly elevated (16-18 µg g-1) and most of the plants contained low levels of As (< 1 µg g-1).

Arsenic speciation and elemental composition of rice samples from the Slovenian market.

A survey of highly toxic arsenic compounds, together with some other elements was carried out on 40 polished rice samples (white, basmati and parboiled) and 10 brown rice samples from the Slovenian market. The average total As concentration was 157 ± 60 μg kg; highest levels were found in parboiled and brown rice and lowest in basmati. The average inorganic As concentration was 90 ± 35 μg kg.

Trace elements and APOE polymorphisms in pregnant women and their new-borns.

We investigated the relationship between lipid binding glycoprotein apolipoprotein E (apoE; gene APOE) polymorphisms (ε4 allele carriers versus no carriers = ε4+/ε4-) and trace elements (TEs) (e.g., (methyl)mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, selenium, manganese, copper, and zinc) in mothers (N = 223) and their new-borns (N = 213) exposed to potentially toxic metal(loid)s from seafood consumption.

Trace elements and ALAD gene polymorphisms in general population from three uranium legacy sites - A case study in Kyrgyzstan.

At three uranium (U) legacy sites in Kyrgyzstan, namely, Kadji Sai, Mailuu-Suu and Sumsar, an initial human bio-monitoring programme was introduced as a complementary activity to environmental impact studies in these areas. The aim was to assess trace element (TE) contents in blood and genetic susceptibility for Pb as one of the contaminants. The programme included the determination of 9 TE in blood samples from 123 residents living permanently in this environment.

Mercury speciation in meconium and associated factors.

Meconium is formed early in gestation and it is normally not excreted until after birth. Thus it may provide a longer and cumulative record of exposure to mercury (Hg). The present study aims to speciate Hg in meconium samples (N = 488) from Slovenian and Croatian new-borns prenatally exposed to low levels of methyl-Hg (MeHg) from maternal seafood intake and to Hg from maternal dental amalgam fillings.

Mercury speciation in prenatal exposure in Slovenian and Croatian population - PHIME study.

In recent years, several studies have addressed the issue of prenatal exposure to methylmercury (MeHg); however, few have actually analysed MeHg blood concentrations. Our study population included mothers and their new-borns from Slovenia (central region; N = 584) and Croatia (coastal region; N = 234). We have measurements of total Hg (THg) and MeHg in maternal hair, maternal peripheral blood, and cord blood.

Prenatal selenium status, neonatal cerebellum measures and child neurodevelopment at the age of 18 months.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of maternal blood selenium (Se) levels and cord blood Se levels with neonatal cerebellum measures and child neurodevelopment at the age of 18 months. Moreover, to investigate whether the neonatal cerebellum measures could be used as a potential biomarker for selenium homeostasis during pregnancy.

Study Group And Methods: The study population consisted of 205 mother-child pairs from Croatian Mother and Child Cohort.

Results of the first national human biomonitoring in Slovenia: Trace elements in men and lactating women, predictors of exposure and reference values.

The first national human biomonitoring in Slovenia surveyed cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in a childbearing population (18-49 years) selected from lactating primiparous women and men (N = 1084). The overall aim was to estimate trace elements' levels and geographical variations in order to identify sources of possible exposures and set the national reference values. The study population was selected evenly from 12 study areas across Slovenia, including rural, urban and known or potentially contaminated environments.

Arsenic metabolites; selenium; and AS3MT, MTHFR, AQP4, AQP9, SELENOP, INMT, and MT2A polymorphisms in Croatian-Slovenian population from PHIME-CROME study.

The relationships between inorganic arsenic (iAs) metabolism, selenium (Se) status, and genetic polymorphisms of various genes, commonly studied in populations exposed to high levels of iAs from drinking water, were studied in a Croatian-Slovenian population from the wider PHIME-CROME project. Population consisted of 136 pregnant women in the 3 trimester and 176 non-pregnant women with their children (n = 176, 8-9 years old). Their exposure to iAs, defined by As (speciation) analyses of biological samples, was low.

Selenium and Mercury Interactions in Apex Predators from the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea).

Since the environmental levels of selenium (Se) can moderate the bioaccumulation and toxicity of mercury (Hg) in marine organisms, their interactions were studied in seawater, sediments, plankton and the benthic (Bull ray , Eagle ray ) and the pelagic (Pelagic stingray ) rays, as apex predators in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea). Male and female rays showed no difference in the Se contents in muscle tissue. Pelagic species contained higher Se levels in muscle but slightly lower levels in the livers of both genders.

Environmental status of the NE Adriatic Sea, Istria, Croatia: Insights from mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis condition indices, stable isotopes and metal(loid)s.

The environmental status of the marine environment in the NE Adriatic Sea was assessed, using as a bioindicator species the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819. Samples were collected seasonally from mariculture sites and from major Istrian ports between the years 2010 and 2013. The condition indices of mussels ranged from 13.