Potential joint association between urinary metal mixtures and adult asthma: A matched case-control study in China.

Association Between Metal Mixtures and C-Reactive Protein Levels: A Study Based on Occupational Populations in China.

Cadmium dominates urinary heavy metal mixtures associated with COPD risk: Integrative evidence from NHANES, network pharmacology, and experimental validation.

Integrative epidemiological, mechanistic, and experimental evidence implicates Cd-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue remodeling as key pathogenic processes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Associations between a mixture of trace elements and bladder cancer occurrence

Background: The association between trace elements and bladder cancer risk is not well understood. Individuals are typically exposed to a mixture of multiple elements simultaneously, such as through water pollution or diet. While previous studies have explored associations between individual elements and bladder cancer, there has been limited work in exploring the overall or joint effect of these elements. Methods: We leveraged the New England Bladder Cancer Study, a population-based matched case-control study, to estimate associations between a mixture of 12 trace elements and bladder cancer. Toenail clipping samples were collected and analyzed for 12 trace elements from 979 cases and 1232 controls. Using quantile-based g-computation, we assessed associations between the overall elements mixture and bladder cancer risk. Results: After adjustment for matching factors (i.e., age, sex, and state) and other potential confounders (e.g., smoking habits and high-risk occupation), we estimated an inverse association between the overall mixture of trace elements and bladder cancer (odds ratio: 0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.66, 0.93). Results were relatively unchanged after adjustment for smoking, high-risk occupation, and diet. We examined indirect evidence for reverse causation in explaining this inverse relationship for arsenic and found evidence that bladder cancer diagnosis may lead to changes in short-term behavior, which affects concentrations of arsenic and possibly other elements in toenail samples.

Joint effects of multi-metal exposure on Autism Spectrum Disorder: Associations, related genes, and biological pathways.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common, multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder with complex etiology. Aberrant metal exposure has been linked to ASD pathogenesis, but the independent and joint effects of multi-metal exposure remain unclear. This study investigated the associations between metal exposure and ASD in a case-control study involving 214 children aged 3-8 years, with 112 ASD cases and 102 controls. Plasma concentrations of 15 metals were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models (RCS) were used to assess the associations between metals and ASD. The results indicated that higher plasma concentrations of lead (Pb) were independently associated with ASD, whereas selenium (Se) showed an inverse association. These findings were further supported by sensitivity analyses using Firth logistic regression and bootstrap resampling. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation (Qgcomp) models revealed that the joint effect of Pb and nickel (Ni) on ASD was attenuated when Se was included in the analysis. In addition, analysis of public data identified nine candidate genes potentially related to both metal exposure and ASD. RT-qPCR analysis of local samples confirmed the differential expression of the candidate genes, which were functionally linked to neurodevelopment-related pathways, including thyroid hormone signaling, mTOR/AMPK signaling, and synaptic plasticity. Overall, this study suggests that specific plasma metal profiles may be associated with ASD and highlights the potential relevance of considering multi-metal exposure patterns. Further longitudinal studies and experimental investigations are required to determine the temporal relationship and potential biological mechanisms linking metal exposure to ASD. LAY SUMMARY: Autism Spectrum Disorder is thought to involve both genetic and environmental factors. In this case-control study, we measured multiple metals in children's plasma and found that children with ASD had different metal profiles compared with controls, particularly for lead, nickel, and selenium. When metals were considered together, selenium appeared to influence the observed associations involving lead and nickel. We also identified several genes that may be related to both metal exposure and neurodevelopmental processes. These findings suggest that metal exposure patterns may be relevant to ASD, but larger longitudinal and mechanistic studies are needed to clarify these relationships.

The association between mixed exposure to multiple metals and the risk of abnormally elevated blood glucose among aluminum factory workers

Selenium predominance in heavy metal mixtures is associated with hyperuricemia in Chinese adults: the role of insulin resistance

Insulin resistance might be a crucial mediated pathway between Se and outcomes and three multi-pollutant models revealed positive associations between metal mixtures and SUA as well as HUA, with Se being the primary contributor.