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Title: The risk of arsenic induced skin lesions in Bangladeshi men and women is affected by arsenic metabolism and the age at first exposure

Abstract

It is known that a high fraction of methylarsonate (MA) in urine is a risk modifying factor for several arsenic induced health effects, including skin lesions, and that men are more susceptible for developing skin lesions than women. Thus, we aimed at elucidating the interaction between gender and arsenic metabolism for the risk of developing skin lesions. This study is part of a population-based case-referent study concerning the risk for skin lesions in relation to arsenic exposure via drinking water carried out in Matlab, a rural area 53km south-east of Dhaka, Bangladesh. We randomly selected 526 from 1579 referents and all 504 cases for analysis of arsenic metabolites in urine using HPLC coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-HG-ICPMS). The present study confirm previous studies, with the risk for skin lesions being almost three times higher in the highest tertile of %MA (adjusted OR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.9-4.2, p < 0.001) compared to the lowest tertile. The present study is the first to show that the well documented higher risk for men to develop arsenic-related skin lesions compared to women is mainly explained by the less efficient methylation of arsenic, as defined by a higher fraction of MA andmore » lower fraction of DMA in the urine, among men. Our previously documented lower risk for skin lesions in individuals exposed since infancy, or before, was found to be independent of the observed arsenic methylation efficiency. Thus, it can be speculated that this is due to a programming effect of arsenic in utero.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1]
  1. Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm (Sweden)
  2. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, (ICDDR.B), Dhaka (Bangladesh)
  3. International Maternal and Child Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21140874
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 230; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2008.02.001; PII: S0041-008X(08)00067-7; Copyright (c) 2008 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0041-008X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ARSENIC; BANGLADESH; DRINKING WATER; HEALTH HAZARDS; HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY; ICP MASS SPECTROSCOPY; METABOLISM; METABOLITES; METHYLATION; RURAL AREAS; SKIN; URINE

Citation Formats

Lindberg, Anna-Lena, Rahman, Mahfuzar, Persson, Lars-Ake, and Vahter, Marie. The risk of arsenic induced skin lesions in Bangladeshi men and women is affected by arsenic metabolism and the age at first exposure. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.1016/j.taap.2008.02.001.
Lindberg, Anna-Lena, Rahman, Mahfuzar, Persson, Lars-Ake, & Vahter, Marie. The risk of arsenic induced skin lesions in Bangladeshi men and women is affected by arsenic metabolism and the age at first exposure. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2008.02.001
Lindberg, Anna-Lena, Rahman, Mahfuzar, Persson, Lars-Ake, and Vahter, Marie. 2008. "The risk of arsenic induced skin lesions in Bangladeshi men and women is affected by arsenic metabolism and the age at first exposure". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2008.02.001.
@article{osti_21140874,
title = {The risk of arsenic induced skin lesions in Bangladeshi men and women is affected by arsenic metabolism and the age at first exposure},
author = {Lindberg, Anna-Lena and Rahman, Mahfuzar and Persson, Lars-Ake and Vahter, Marie},
abstractNote = {It is known that a high fraction of methylarsonate (MA) in urine is a risk modifying factor for several arsenic induced health effects, including skin lesions, and that men are more susceptible for developing skin lesions than women. Thus, we aimed at elucidating the interaction between gender and arsenic metabolism for the risk of developing skin lesions. This study is part of a population-based case-referent study concerning the risk for skin lesions in relation to arsenic exposure via drinking water carried out in Matlab, a rural area 53km south-east of Dhaka, Bangladesh. We randomly selected 526 from 1579 referents and all 504 cases for analysis of arsenic metabolites in urine using HPLC coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-HG-ICPMS). The present study confirm previous studies, with the risk for skin lesions being almost three times higher in the highest tertile of %MA (adjusted OR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.9-4.2, p < 0.001) compared to the lowest tertile. The present study is the first to show that the well documented higher risk for men to develop arsenic-related skin lesions compared to women is mainly explained by the less efficient methylation of arsenic, as defined by a higher fraction of MA and lower fraction of DMA in the urine, among men. Our previously documented lower risk for skin lesions in individuals exposed since infancy, or before, was found to be independent of the observed arsenic methylation efficiency. Thus, it can be speculated that this is due to a programming effect of arsenic in utero.},
doi = {10.1016/j.taap.2008.02.001},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21140874}, journal = {Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology},
issn = {0041-008X},
number = 1,
volume = 230,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008},
month = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008}
}