Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biomarkers and diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objective The aim of the current study is to investigate the association of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of environmental pollutants, with diabetes mellitus. Animal studies link PAHs to inflammation and subsequent development of diabetes mellitus. In addition, occupational studies suggest that exposure to other aromatic hydrocarbons such as dioxins may be associated with diabetes risk in humans. Design We examined participants from the merged National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2002, 2003–2004 and 2005–2006. Exposures of interest were eight urinary monohydroxy-PAHs. Our outcome was diabetes mellitus defined as a glycohemoglobin level (HbA1c) ≥6.5%, a self-reported physician diagnosis of diabetes or use of oral hypoglycaemic medication or insulin. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, race, alcohol consumption, poverty–income ratio, total cholesterol and serum cotinine. Results We observed a positive association between urinary biomarkers of 1 and 2-hydroxynapthol, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene and summed low molecular weight (LMW) PAH biomarkers, and diabetes mellitus. Compared with participants with summed LMW PAH biomarkers in the lowest quartile, the multivariable-adjusted OR of diabetes mellitus among those in the highest quartile was 3.1 (95% CI 1.6 to 5.8). Conclusions Urinary biomarkers of 1 and 2-hydroxynapthol, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene and summed LMW PAH biomarkers are associated with diabetes mellitus in US adults 20–65 years of age. The association of a one-time biomarker of PAH exposure has limitations commonly associated with cross-sectional studies, yet is consistent with experimental animal data and is worthy of additional consideration.

Review of PAH contamination in food products and their health hazards

“…The incremented incidence of dietary intake of PAHs has resulted in the metabolism defects due to their persistent bioaccumulation in food chain. The PAHs' resistance against degradation hinders the metabolic activity of glucose homeostasis and β-cell function to act as the potential cause of the Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (Andersen et al, 2012;Raaschou-Nielsen et al, 2013;Alshaarawy et al, 2014). These non-genotoxic effects of the continuous environmental and dietary (charred and broiled meat) exposure has become one of the significant casual factors contribution to the development of metabolic syndrome in terms of dyslipidemia and raised blood pressure (Hu et al, 2015).…”

Associations between exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and glucose homeostasis as well as metabolic syndrome in nondiabetic adults

“…Because air pollution and cigarette smoking are important sources of PAHs, both have been consistently linked to cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes (Chang, 2012), the biological plausibility could suggest that PAHs may play an important role in the relationship between cigarette smoking, ambient air pollution, and cardiometabolic diseases. A recent study found that PAHs are associated with prevalence of diabetes among adults in the United States (Alshaarawy et al, 2014); however, the underlying mechanism for this relationship is largely unknown.…”

Urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Saudi Arabian schoolchildren in relation to sources of exposure

“…Consequently the European Food Safety Authority has made a detailed assessment of human exposure from dietary sources (EFSA, 2008). In addition to the cancer risk, PAH exposure has been linked to the onset of diabetes mellitus (Yang et al 2014;Alshaarawy, et al 2014), metabolic syndrome (Brocato et al 2014;Hu et al 2015), and cardiovascular conditions (Xu et al 2010;Feng et al 2014). Since all exposure sources can contribute to the body burden of PAH, quantitative evaluation of exposure pathways is important if health risk is to be minimised.…”