A Metallomic Approach to Assess Associations of Serum Metal Levels With Gallstones and Gallbladder Cancer

Abstract

Background and Aims Exposure to metals may promote the risk for cancers. We evaluated the associations of a broad spectrum of metals with gallbladder cancer (GBC) and gallstones. Approach and Results A total of 259 patients with GBC, 701 patients with gallstones, and 851 population‐based controls were enrolled in Shanghai, China. A metallome panel was used to simultaneously detect 18 metals in serum through inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Logistic regression models were used to estimate crude or adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between metal levels and gallbladder disease. Among the 18 metals tested, 12 were significantly associated with GBC and six with gallstones (Pcorrected < 0.002). Boron, lithium, molybdenum, and arsenic levels were associated with GBC compared to gallstones as well as with gallstones compared to population‐based controls. Elevated levels of cadmium, chromium, copper, molybdenum, and vanadium were positively associated with GBC versus gallstones; and the ORadj for the highest tertile (T3) compared to the lowest tertile (T1) ranged from 1.80 to 7.28, with evidence of dose–response trends (P < 0.05). Arsenic, boron, iron, lithium, magnesium, selenium, and sulfur were inversely associated with GBC, with the T3 versus T1 ORadj ranging from 0.20 to 0.69. Arsenic, boron, calcium, lithium, molybdenum, and phosphorus were negatively associated with gallstones, with the T3 versus T1 ORadj ranging from 0.50 to 0.75 (P < 0.05). Conclusions Metals were associated with both GBC and gallstones, providing cross‐sectional evidence of association across the natural history of disease. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the temporality of metal exposure and gallbladder diseases and to investigate the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.

Possibility of magnesium supplementation for supportive treatment in patients with COVID-19

“…Recent research has further proven that oral magnesium supplementation (800 mg magnesium oxide daily) prevents the postoperative complications of cardiac surgery, including nausea, vomiting and constipation in patients from the admission to discharge from hospital ( Moradian et al, 2017 ). The data from a clinical trial including a total of 259 patients with gallbladder cancer, 701 patients with gallstones, and 851 population-based controls in Shanghai, China, have demonstrated that serum magnesium level is inversely related to gallbladder disease ( Lee et al, 2020 ). Aquamin is a natural product rich in magnesium and calcium.…”

C24‐Ceramide Drives Gallbladder Cancer Progression Through Directly Targeting Phosphatidylinositol 5‐Phosphate 4‐Kinase Type‐2 Gamma to Facilitate Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling Activation

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Pattern of gallstone disease in an industrial township in India: are the risk factors different?

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