Associations of co-exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals with hyperuricemia risk in Chinese coke oven workers: Mediating roles of oxidative damage

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 318; p. 120891
• Main Authors: Guo, Chaofan, Liu, Xin, Liao, Xiaojing, Wu, Haimei, Zhang, Zhaorui, Wu, Dehua, Ma, Rui, Huang, Yongshun, Zhao, Na, Xiao, Yongmei, Deng, Qifei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2023
• Subjects: 8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; blood; Coke; Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA Damage; East Asian People; Humans; hyperuricemia; Hyperuricemia - chemically induced; Hyperuricemia - epidemiology; Interaction; Mediation analysis; Metals; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - analysis; ovens; Oxidative Stress; PAH-metal co-exposure; pollution; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - toxicity; risk factors; Risk of hyperuricemia; Rubidium; Strontium; uric acid; Oxidative stress; OH-Flu; OH-Phe; ADE; anti-NMDA; PAH-metal co-exposure; aMed score; OH-Nap; BPDE-Alb; ΣOH-Phe; Risk of hyperuricemia; 8-iso-PGF2α; MSE; BMI; eGFR; 8-OH-dG; ACME; COEs; Interaction; ln-transformed; MDRD; LOQ; CV; ROS; PAHs; 1-OH-Pyr; Mediation analysis; ELISA
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120891

Ubiquitous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals could induce hyperuricemia and oxidative damage individually, while their co-exposure effects on hyperuricemia risk and the potential roles of oxidative damage in these health outcomes remain poorly understood. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 1379 coke oven workers. We evaluated the levels of PAH-metal exposure and oxidative damage by urinary monohydroxy-PAHs, plasma benzo [a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-albumin (BPDE-Alb) adducts, urinary metals, urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α, and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG). The subjects were classified into cases of hyperuricemia and controls by the levels of blood uric acid. We found that the sum of multiple hydroxyphenanthrene (ΣOH-Phe) was robustly associated with the increase in hyperuricemia risk, while rubidium and strontium had robust protective associations with hyperuricemia risk (Ptrend<0.05). The risk association of ΣOH-Phe was weaker in workers with high levels of rubidium and strontium [P for modifying effect (PME) < 0.030]. The protective association of strontium was more pronounced in workers with higher ΣOH-Phe (PME = 0.014). We also found that 8-OH-dG was a risk factor for hyperuricemia (Ptrend = 0.006) and mediated 10.13% of the elevated hyperuricemia risk associated with ΣOH-Phe. Our findings suggested that individual PAHs and metals, as well as their co-exposure, may influence hyperuricemia risk among coke oven workers, with oxidative DNA damage playing a potential mediating role in their associations. [Display omitted] •ΣOH-Phe was robustly associated with the increase of hyperuricemia risk.•Rubidium and strontium had robust protective associations with hyperuricemia risk.•Risk association of ΣOH-Phe was weaker in workers with high rubidium and strontium.•Protective association of strontium was stronger in workers with high ΣOH-Phe.•8-OH-dG mediated 10.13% of elevated hyperuricemia risk associated with ΣOH-Phe.