Plasma Homocysteine Is Associated with Increased Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in Welders

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of vitamin B6 status and plasma homocysteine with oxidative stress and antioxidant capacities in welders. Workers were divided into either the welding exposure group (n = 57) or the nonexposure controls (n = 42) based on whether they were employed as welders. There were no significant differences in vitamin B6 status and plasma homocysteine concentration between the welding exposure group and the nonexposure controls. The welding exposure group had significantly higher levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lower erythrocyte glutathione concentration and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities when compared to nonexposure controls. Plasma pyridoxal 5′-phosphate concentration did not correlate with oxidative stress indicators or antioxidant capacities in either group. However, plasma homocysteine significantly correlated with total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (partial r s = −0.34, P < 0.05) and erythrocyte SOD activities (partial r s = 0.29, P < 0.05) after adjusting for potential confounders in the welding exposure group. In the welding exposure group, adequate vitamin B6 status was not associated with oxidative stress or antioxidant capacities. However, elevated plasma homocysteine seemed to be a major contributing factor to antioxidant capacities (TAC and erythrocyte SOD activities) in welders.

Oxidative stress, telomere shortening, and DNA methylation in relation to low‐to‐moderate occupational exposure to welding fumes

“…Nuernberg et al [2008] reported a significant increase in urinary 8-oxodG after 6 hrs of exposure to welding fumes, with an average concentration of 0.82 mg/m 3 , which is lower than that in our study. In contrast, Liu et al [2013] did not find any significant difference in 8-oxodG between welders and controls (though exposure levels were not reported in that study). Although 8-oxodG has a short turn-over in the body [Nuernberg et al, 2008], the urine samples for our study were collected during the last 4 hrs of an 8-hr work shift, and should thus reflect changes induced by shortterm exposures.…”

Homocysteine Disrupts Balance between MMP-9 and Its Tissue Inhibitor in Diabetic Retinopathy: The Role of DNA Methylation

“…Our recent study has shown three-fold higher homocysteine levels in the retina from human donors with established diabetic retinopathy compared to retina from nondiabetic human donors [13]. High circulating levels of homocysteine are implicated in many cellular abnormalities, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial fission and the activation of MMP-9 [14][15][16]. The way in which elevated homocysteine regulates retinal MMP-9 activation in diabetic retinopathy is unclear.…”

Association of education and receiving social transfers with allostatic load in the Swiss population-based CoLaus study

“…Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is considered as a suitable marker for oxidative stress in epidemiological settings (Lee et al, 2004). Both homocystein (Liu et al, 2013) and uric acid (So and Thorens, 2010;Strazzullo and Puig, 2007) are considered as markers of oxidative stress and their circulating levels can be easily assessed in large scale population-based studies.…”