Circulating lead modifies hexavalent chromium-induced genetic damage in a chromate-exposed population: An epidemiological study

Guiping Hu; Changmao Long; Lihua Hu; Benjamin Ping Xu; Tian Chen; Xiaoyin Gao; Yali Zhang; Pai Zheng; Li Wang; Tiancheng Wang; Lailai Yan; Shanfa Yu; Lijun Zhong; Wei Chen; Guang Jia

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141824

Circulating lead modifies hexavalent chromium-induced genetic damage in a chromate-exposed population: An epidemiological study

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jan 15:752:141824. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141824. Epub 2020 Aug 21.

Authors

Guiping Hu¹, Changmao Long², Lihua Hu³, Benjamin Ping Xu⁴, Tian Chen⁵, Xiaoyin Gao², Yali Zhang², Pai Zheng², Li Wang⁶, Tiancheng Wang⁷, Lailai Yan⁸, Shanfa Yu⁹, Lijun Zhong¹⁰, Wei Chen¹⁰, Guang Jia¹¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Medical Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
² Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
³ Department of Cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
⁴ Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC, USA.
⁵ School of Public Health and Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
⁶ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Science, School of Public Health, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 014030, China.
⁷ Department of Clinical Laboratory, Third Hospital of Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
⁸ Department of Laboratorial Science and Technology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
⁹ Henan Institute for Occupational Medicine, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province 450052, China.
¹⁰ Medical and Health Analysis Center, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
¹¹ Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address: jiaguangjia@bjmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 32896789
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141824

Abstract

Chromium (Cr) can coexist with other heavy metals in the blood of chronically chromate-exposed individuals. However, few studies have explored the health impacts of other hazardous metals after exposure to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)]. This study aimed to assess the modification effects of blood lead (Pb) on the genetic damage induced by Cr(VI). During 2010-2019, 1000 blood samples were collected from 455 workers exposed to chromate and 545 workers not exposed to chromate from the same factory with similar labor intensity. The levels of Cr and Pb were measured in whole blood samples. Micronucleus frequency (MNF) and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured to reflect different types of genetic damage. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between hazardous metals and the modification effects of Pb on genetic damage. The geometric mean levels of Cr and Pb in the exposure group were significantly higher than those in the control group [Cr: 6.42 (6.08- 6.79) vs. 1.29 (1.22- 1.36) μg/L; Pb: 38.82 (37.22- 40.50) vs. 34.47 (33.15- 35.85) μg/L]. The geometric means of urinary 8-OHdG and MNF in exposure group were 4.00 (3.64- 4.40) μg/g and 5.40 (4.89- 5.97) ‰, respectively, significantly higher than the 3.20 (2.94- 3.48) μg/g and 4.57 (4.15- 5.03) ‰, respectively, in control group. log₂Cr was independently and positively associated with urinary 8-OHdG (β_-adjusted = 0.143, 95% CI: 0.082- 0.204) and MNF (β_-adjusted = 0.303, 95%CI: 0.020- 0.587). With the change in circulating Pb levels, the types of genetic damage induced by Cr(VI) were different. At low levels of circulating Pb (<30.80 μg/L), chromate mainly caused changes in 8-OHdG, while at high circulating Pb levels (≥44.88 μg/L), chromate induced alterations in MNF. The findings suggested that chromate exposure could cause multiple types of genetic damage, and circulating Pb might modify the association between circulating Cr and the form of genetic damage.

Keywords: Chromate; Circulating Pb; Genetic damage; Modification effects; Occupational workers.

MeSH terms

Chromates* / toxicity
Chromium / toxicity
Epidemiologic Studies
Humans
Lead / toxicity
Occupational Exposure* / analysis

Substances

Chromates
Chromium
chromium hexavalent ion
Lead