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Cited by 81Heavy Metal Exposure and ToxicityCarcinogens and Genotoxicity AssessmentToxic Organic Pollutants Impact

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Co-exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, microRNA expression, and early health damage in coke oven workers

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Deng, Qifei, Dai, Xiayun, Feng, Wei, Huang, Suli, Yuan, Yu, Xiao, Yongmei, Zhang, Zhaorui, Deng, Na, Deng, Huaxin, Zhang, Xiao, Kuang, Dan, Li, Xiaohai, Zhang, Wangzhen, Zhang, Xiaomin, Guo, Huan, Wu, Tangchun·2019·Environment International
DOI 10.1016/j.envint.2018.11.056
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Abstract

All humans are now co-exposed to multiple toxic chemicals, among which metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of special concern as they are often present at high levels in various human environments. They can also induce similar early health damage, such as genetic damage, oxidative stress, and heart rate variability (HRV). Exposure to metals, PAHs, and their combined pollutants can alter microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns. To explore the associations of metal-PAH co-exposure with miRNA expression, and of the associated miRNAs with early health damage. We enrolled 360 healthy male coke oven workers and quantified their exposure levels of metals and PAHs by urinary metals, urinary monohydroxy-PAHs (OH-PAHs), and plasma benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,t-9,c-10-tetrahydotetrol-albumin (BPDE-Alb) adducts, respectively. We selected and measured ten miRNAs: let-7b-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-142-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-16-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-27a-3p, miR-28-5p, miR-320b, and miR-451a. For miRNAs influenced by the effect modification of metals or PAHs and/or metal-PAH interactions, we further evaluated their associations with biomarkers for genetic damage, oxidative stress, and HRV. After adjusting for PAHs and other metals, miRNA expression was found to be negatively associated with aluminum, antimony, lead, and titanium, and positively associated with molybdenum and tin (p < 0.05). Antimony showed modifying effects on the PAH-miRNA associations, while OH-PAHs and BPDE-Alb adducts modified the associations of metals with miRNAs (p for modifying effect < 0.05). Furthermore, miRNA expression was influenced by the antagonistic interactions between antimony and OH-PAHs, and by the synergistical interactions between metals and BPDE-Alb adducts (pinteraction < 0.05). Let-7b-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-16-5p, and miR-320b were additionally found to be associated with increased genetic damage in the present study [false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted p < 0.05]. Associations of metal-PAH co-exposure with miRNA expression, and of associated miRNAs with early health damage, suggested potential mechanistic connections between the complex metal-PAH interactions and their deleterious effects that are worthy of further investigation.

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  • PAHs may modify metal buildup and increase metal-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS).

    “Furthermore, PAHs may modify metal buildup and increase metal-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) [89].”

    From Harnessing bacterial consortia for effective bioremediation: targeted removal of heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and persistent pollutants (2025) · cites this paper as [89]

    The Introduction (page not provided) says metals accumulate in the body and PAHs can generate ROS. The discussion following Table 3 proposes ROS production as a possible shared pathway for metal–PAH interactions. Neither passage says PAHs modify metal buildup or specifically increase metal-derived ROS. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Metadata

Authors
Deng, Q., Dai, X., Feng, W., Huang, S., Yuan, Y., Xiao, Y., Zhang, Z., Deng, N., Deng, H., Zhang, X., Kuang, D., Li, X., Zhang, W., Zhang, X., Guo, H., & Wu, T.
Affiliations
  • Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
  • Wuhan Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases (CN)
  • Huazhong University of Science and Technology (CN)
Corresponding author
  • Deng, Qifei
  • Wu, Tangchun
ORCID
Venue
Environment International
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-01
Volume
122
Pages
369-380
ISSN
0160-4120 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.envint.2018.11.056
OpenAlex
W2902170883
Cited by
81
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 6
FWCI
3.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Environment International (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (91643202, 81402658)
  • National Key Program of Research and Development of China (2016YFC0900800)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
Keywords
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, microRNA expression, coke oven workers, occupational exposure, antimony, benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adducts, oxidative stress, genetic damage, heart rate variability, miR-16-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-142-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-27a-3p, miR-28-5p, miR-320b
MeSH terms
Adult, Coke, Disease, DNA Damage, Environmental Pollutants, Humans, Male, Metals, Middle Aged, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Biomarkers, Occupational Exposure, Oxidative Stress, MicroRNAs

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