Blood manganese levels and associated factors in a population-based study in Southern Brazil

Abstract

Manganese (Mn) is an essential dietary nutrient for human health serving as a cofactor for many enzymes; however, exposure to excessive quantities of Mn may lead to toxicity with symptoms analogous to Parkinson's disease (PD). Population-based biomonitoring is an effective tool for characterizing the body burden of environmental or occupational pollutants, including Mn. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to (1) estimate reference values (RV) for blood Mn in an adult population and (2) assess the variables that were associated with higher blood metal levels. A total of 947 adults, aged 40 years or older, were randomly selected in a city in Southern Brazil. Information on socioeconomic, dietary, lifestyle, and occupational background was collected by trained interviewers. Blood Mn levels (μg/L) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The RV for blood Mn concentrations were obtained from the upper limits of the 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the 95th percentile distributions. Cluster analysis was performed to identify variables associated with high or low blood Mn concentrations. The RV for blood Mn levels in this study were 18.54 and 20.15 μg/L for men and women, respectively. Mn blood concentrations decreased with age and were higher in females compared to males. No marked association was noted between blood Mn and smoking or drinking habits, education levels and socioeconomic status. Diastolic blood pressure was higher in a group of women approximately 54 years of age associated with elevated blood Mn levels. Important reference data stratified by demographic and lifestyle factors that may prove useful for future surveillance of environmental exposure to Mn and health risks associated with this metal are presented.

Changes of trace element status during aging: results of the EPIC-Potsdam cohort study

“…Most studies investigating age-specific differences in TE status have been conducted cross-sectionally [ 13 – 15 , 22 , 23 , 41 – 45 ] and comparison with the present work is, therefore, somewhat limited. However, overall, age-related changes in TE observed in our study were consistent with the literature.…”

“…In the US survey [ 23 ], higher blood Mn concentration was associated with younger age, whereas the highest Mn concentrations were observed for individuals in the 30–39 age range in the Korean study [ 44 ]. In a Brazilian study [ 45 ] conducted among 947 adults, aged 40 year or older, blood concentrations of Mn were significantly lower with higher age. Possible comparison with our data is limited, as the above mentioned studies differ in the study design, in the population studied (e.g.…”

“…younger or/and Asian individuals) and more importantly, in the assessment of Mn status. In these studies [ 23 , 44 , 45 ], Mn measurements were based on blood concentrations, and Mn whole-blood concentrations have been shown to be higher than serum Mn concentration as a considerable amount of Mn is bound to hemoglobin in erythrocytes [ 38 ]. In line with our findings, in the ZincAge study carried out among 1090 healthy elderly individuals aged of 74 years on average, negative correlations were observed between age and plasma Zn [ 22 ].…”

Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Relation to Plasma and Urinary Manganese

“…10 A manganese intake slightly above the dietary requirement induces a pro-inflammatory status. 11 There is an abundant literature on manganese as neurotoxic agent, 3,12 whereas the potential association of cardiovascular function 1 or blood pressure [13][14][15][16][17] with biomarkers of manganese exposure remains poorly studied. Moreover, the scarce reports focusing on blood pressure produced contradictory results, [13][14][15][16][17] three studies 13,14,17 reporting an inverse association of blood pressure with manganese, whereas others reported positive associations.…”

New Insights on the Role of Manganese in Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease

“…Normal Mn concentration varies depending on the biological tissues evaluated. Generally, the estimated value of Mn in the body is about 4–12 μg/L in whole blood, 1–8 μg/L in urine, and 0.4–0.85 μg/L in serum [10,11]. Industrial sources of exposure are a major public health challenge.…”