Association of exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with expression of Receptor of Advanced Clycation End Products in welding workers

摘要

Shipyard welders will expose to fine particulate, aerosols, dust, metal fumes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other substances during the work process. Modifiable environmental factors including particulate matter and its components drive endogenous formation Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) overwhelm innate defenses of antioxidant and activate pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant receptors for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) associated cardiovascular effects have not been explored. This study was in a cross-sectional design. Study subjects consisted of 53 welders and 29 office workers from a shipyard of northern Taiwan. Participants were asked to wear PM2.5 samplers during their working hours on the first weekday (Monday) and collected urine and fasting blood samples on the next day (Tuesday) morning. Monocytic receptor of advanced glycation end products expression was assessed flow cytometry. AGEs, IL-6, TNF-a were analyzed by ELISA kits. Urinary metal concentration was analyzed by ICP- MS. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 22.0. It showed Log(Ni) (B=0.329, 95% CI 0.031 to 0.172, p=0.006), or Log(Fe) ( β = 0.258, 95% CI 0.044 to 0.556, p = 0.022) was positively associated with Log(AGEs) adjusting for creatinine, age, smoking status, and work group. Log(Cr) (B = 0.236, 95% CI 0.018 to 0.337, p = 0.03), Log(Ni) (B = 0.225, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.133, p=0.032), or Log(Cd) (p=0.309, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.139, p=0.028) was positively associated with the Log(RAGE), respectively. Log(RAGE) was found statistically significant with IL-6 (P = 0.294, 95% CI 0.083 to 0.732, p = 0.014). The possible mechanism is that the metal or PAHs adsorbed on the fine particles from welding fume might cause the increasing AGEs concentration, and then react with the receptor to produce the inflammatory reaction. We conclude that exposure to welding fume particles is associated with increasing AGEs levels and RAGE expression.