Association between multiple-heavy-metal exposures and systemic immune inflammation in a middle-aged and elderly Chinese general population

Abstract

Background Exposure to heavy metals alone or in combination can promote systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between multiple plasma heavy metals and markers of systemic immune inflammation. Methods Using a cross-sectional study, routine blood tests were performed on 3355 participants in Guangxi, China. Eight heavy metal elements in plasma were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Immunoinflammatory markers were calculated based on peripheral blood WBC and its subtype counts. A generalised linear regression model was used to analyse the association of each metal with the immunoinflammatory markers, and the association of the metal mixtures with the immunoinflammatory markers was further assessed using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. Results In the single-metal model, plasma metal Fe (log10) was significantly negatively correlated with the levels of immune-inflammatory markers SII, NLR and PLR, and plasma metal Cu (log10) was significantly positively correlated with the levels of immune-inflammatory markers SII and PLR. In addition, plasma metal Mn (log10 conversion) was positively correlated with the levels of immune inflammatory markers NLR and PLR. The above associations remained after multiple corrections. In the mixed-metal model, after WQS regression analysis, plasma metal Cu was found to have the greatest weight in the positive effects of metal mixtures on SII and PLR, while plasma metals Mn and Fe had the greatest weight in the positive effects of metal mixtures on NLR and LMR, respectively. In addition, blood Fe had the greatest weight in the negative effects of the metal mixtures for SII, PLR and NLR. Conclusion Plasma metals Cu and Mn were positively correlated with immunoinflammatory markers SII, NLR and PLR. While plasma metal Fe was negatively correlated with immunoinflammatory markers SII, NLR, and PLR.

Environmental factors in the development of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis

“…Inhalation of particulate matter in occupational settings, such as construction or mining, triggers pulmonary in ammation, spilling over into systemic circulation. Additionally, occupational exposures activate the immune system, leading to chronic low-grade in ammation contributing to CAD [70,71].…”

Correction: Association between multiple-heavy-metal exposures and systemic immune inflammation in a middle-aged and elderly Chinese general population

“…In the original publication of this article [ 1 ] there was an error in Figure 3. The rightmost values of the P trend and the corresponding asterisk symbol were not visible.…”