Publications by authors named "V Slavkovich"
Arsenic is a ubiquitous toxic metalloid causing serious health problems. Speciation analysis of arsenic in human urine provides valuable insights for large-scale epidemiological studies and informs on sources of exposure as well as human metabolism. The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) is a valuable cohort for assessing chronic low-moderate arsenic exposure and health effects in an ethnically diverse US population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Inorganic arsenic is metabolized to monomethyl- (MMAs) and dimethyl- (DMAs) species via one-carbon metabolism (OCM); this facilitates urinary arsenic elimination. OCM is influenced by folate and vitamin B12 and previous randomized control trials (RCTs) showed that folic acid (FA) supplementation increases arsenic methylation in adults. This RCT investigated the effects of FA + B12 supplementation on arsenic methylation in children, a key developmental stage where OCM supports growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethod validation for (ultra)-trace element concentrations in urine for small sample volumes in large epidemiological studies: application to the population-based epidemiological multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA).
Anal Methods
January 2024
Article Synopsis
- The analysis of trace elements in urine is an important method for evaluating exposures to harmful substances, nutritional health, and directing public health efforts, particularly using samples from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
- This study presents a highly sensitive method for detecting 18 trace elements in just 100 μL of urine, utilizing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with good accuracy and varying precision levels across elements.
- Findings reveal the concentration patterns of non-essential and essential trace elements in urine, with non-essential elements like strontium and arsenic being more prevalent than essential ones like zinc and selenium among MESA participants.
Mixed metals exposure and cognitive function in Bangladeshi adolescents.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf
March 2022
Background: Over 57 million people in Bangladesh have been chronically exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. They also face environmental exposure to elevated levels of cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and lead (Pb), all of which have been previously observed in environmental and biological samples for this population. These metals have been linked to adverse neurocognitive outcomes in adults and children, though their effects on adolescents are not yet fully characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSymmetric activation and modulation of the human calcium-sensing receptor.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 2021
The human extracellular calcium-sensing (CaS) receptor controls plasma Ca levels and contributes to nutrient-dependent maintenance and metabolism of diverse organs. Allosteric modulation of the CaS receptor corrects disorders of calcium homeostasis. Here, we report the cryogenic-electron microscopy reconstructions of a near-full-length CaS receptor in the absence and presence of allosteric modulators.
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