Inter-individual variations of human mercury exposure biomarkers: a cross-sectional assessment.
Inter-individual variations of human mercury exposure biomarkers: a cross-sectional assessment.
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DOI：
10.1186/1476-069x-4-20
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发表时间：
2005-10-03
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Vahter M
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Berglund M;Lind B;Björnberg KA;Palm B;Einarsson O;Vahter M
汞接触的生物标志物经常被用于评估普通人群中不同群体的接触和风险。我们已经评估了最常用的生物标志物及其所基于的生理学，以探索个体间的差异及其对暴露评估的适用性。对瑞典男性和女性的全血、红细胞、血浆、头发和尿液中的总汞（THg）、无机汞（IHg）和有机汞（OHg，假定为甲基汞; MeHg）浓度进行了测定。研制了一种多点进样冷原子荧光光谱法自动分析汞的分析系统。探讨了不同形态汞在不同生物介质中的分布。在红细胞中发现的汞约90%以甲基汞的形式存在，个体间差异很小，而在红细胞中发现的部分IHg可归因于脱甲基甲基汞。血浆中的THg与IHg和MeHg均相关，红细胞和血浆之间的分布存在较大的个体间差异。头发中的总汞反映了所有接触水平的甲基汞接触，而不是IHg接触。头发中的一小部分IHg很可能来自脱甲基甲基汞。血液与毛发比率的个体间差异非常大。变异性似乎随着血液中OHg的增加而降低，最可能是由于更频繁的鱼类食用，从而使血液浓度接近稳态。尿液中的总汞反映了IHg暴露，也反映了极低的IHg暴露水平。使用全血中的THg浓度作为甲基汞暴露的代表，将导致对甲基汞暴露的高估，这取决于IHg暴露的程度，因此需要对汞的形态进行分析。红细胞和头发中的THg是甲基汞暴露的合适替代物。使用THg浓度在血浆中作为测量IHg暴露可能会导致显着的暴露错误分类。尿中的THg是IHg暴露的合适替代物。
Biomarkers for mercury (Hg) exposure have frequently been used to assess exposure and risk in various groups of the general population. We have evaluated the most frequently used biomarkers and the physiology on which they are based, to explore the inter-individual variations and their suitability for exposure assessment. Concentrations of total Hg (THg), inorganic Hg (IHg) and organic Hg (OHg, assumed to be methylmercury; MeHg) were determined in whole blood, red blood cells, plasma, hair and urine from Swedish men and women. An automated multiple injection cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry analytical system for Hg analysis was developed, which provided high sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. The distribution of the various mercury forms in the different biological media was explored. About 90% of the mercury found in the red blood cells was in the form of MeHg with small inter-individual variations, and part of the IHg found in the red blood cells could be attributed to demethylated MeHg. THg in plasma was associated with both IHg and MeHg, with large inter-individual variations in the distribution between red blood cells and plasma. THg in hair reflects MeHg exposure at all exposure levels, and not IHg exposure. The small fraction of IHg in hair is most probably emanating from demethylated MeHg. The inter-individual variation in the blood to hair ratio was very large. The variability seemed to decrease with increasing OHg in blood, most probably due to more frequent fish consumption and thereby blood concentrations approaching steady state. THg in urine reflected IHg exposure, also at very low IHg exposure levels. The use of THg concentration in whole blood as a proxy for MeHg exposure will give rise to an overestimation of the MeHg exposure depending on the degree of IHg exposure, why speciation of mercury forms is needed. THg in RBC and hair are suitable proxies for MeHg exposure. Using THg concentration in plasma as a measure of IHg exposure can lead to significant exposure misclassification. THg in urine is a suitable proxy for IHg exposure.