AI Article Synopsis
- Numerous studies have looked at how heavy metals like chromium, cadmium, lead, and manganese affect liver function, but their results are inconsistent and need more long-term validation.
- In this research involving 426 participants from Northeast China, blood and urine samples were analyzed to determine the impact of these heavy metals on liver function through various statistical models.
- The findings indicate that higher levels of these metals are linked to liver function changes, showing both positive and negative associations, as well as complex interactions between different metal exposures that could lead to liver damage.
Article Abstract
Background: The impact of heavy metals on liver function has been examined in numerous epidemiological studies. However, these findings lack consistency and longitudinal validation.
Methods: In this study, we conducted three follow-up surveys with 426 participants from Northeast China. Blood and urine samples were collected, along with questionnaire information. Urine samples were analyzed for concentrations of four metals (chromium [Cr], cadmium [Cd], lead [Pb], and manganese [Mn]), while blood samples were used to measure five liver function indicators (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], albumin [ALB], globulin [GLB], and total protein [TP]). We utilized a linear mixed-effects model (LME) to explore the association between individual heavy metal exposure and liver function. Joint effects of metal mixtures were investigated using quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). Furthermore, we employed BKMR and Marginal Effect models to examine the interaction effects between metals on liver function.
Results: The LME results demonstrated a significant association between urinary heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, and Mn) and liver function markers. BKMR results indicated positive associations between heavy metal mixtures and ALT, AST, and GLB, and negative associations with ALB and TP, which were consistent with the g-comp results. Synergistic effects were observed between Cd-Cr on ALT, Mn-Cr and Cr-Pb on ALB, while an antagonistic effect was found between Mn-Pb and Mn-Cd on ALB. Additionally, synergistic effects were observed between Mn-Cr on GLB and Cd-Cr on TP. Furthermore, a three-way antagonistic effect of Mn-Pb-Cr on ALB was identified.
Conclusion: Exposure to heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Mn, Pb) is associated with liver function markers, potentially leading to liver damage. Moreover, there are joint and interaction effects among these metals, which warrant further investigation at both the population and mechanistic levels.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116178 | DOI Listing |
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