Relationship between amyloid beta protein and melatonin metabolite in a study of electric utility workers.

This study assessed the relationship between occupational magnetic field exposure, the urinary melatonin metabolite 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate (6-OHMS), and concentrations of blood-borne soluble amyloid beta (A beta), a protein associated with the hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Blood and urine samples were obtained from male electric utility workers (n = 60) to quantify two lengths of the protein in plasma, A beta (amino acids 1-40) and A beta (1-42), and the urinary concentrations of 6-OHMS. Average A beta levels were positively associated with categories of magnetic field exposure, but this relationship was weak and did not achieve statistical significance. The melatonin metabolite was inversely correlated with A beta (1-42) and the ratio of A beta (1-42) to A beta (1-40). This observation is consistent with recent in vitro data and provides a plausible mechanism for the association between magnetic field exposure and AD that has been observed in some studies.