You are here:
Exposure to metals mixtures: Genomic alterations of infectious disease response pathways in children exposed to environmedntal metals
Citation:
Gruber, J., R. Patel, J. Rager, A. Sanders, S. Edwards, J. Gallagher, AND R. Fry. Exposure to metals mixtures: Genomic alterations of infectious disease response pathways in children exposed to environmedntal metals. Presented at Society of Toxicology Meeting, San Antonio, TX, March 10 - 14, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
Although studies have investigated the individual effects toxic metals have on gene expression and health outcomes, this study assess the effect of metal mixtures on gene expression profiles.
Description:
Exposure to toxic metals can have harmful health effects, particularly in children. Although studies have investigated the individual effects toxic metals have on gene expression and health outcomes, there are no studies assessing the effect of metal mixtures on gene expression profiles. Here, we assessed the mixture effect of six toxic metals (arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead) on gene expression profiles in children in Detroit, Michigan. As part of the Mechanistic Indicators of Childhood Asthma (MICA) cross sectional study, we assessed metal exposure in 131 children in Detroit using fingernail metals levels. A metals mixture score was calculated and compared to gene expression profiles across the population adjusting for age and race. There were 145 unique genes that were significantly differentially expressed when comparing children exposed to low and high levels of the metals mixture. Of the genes differentially expressed, 107 (74%) had increased expression while 38 (26%) had decreased expression. The main biological function associated with multiple metals was infectious disease. Within that group, genes were associated with infection of respiratory tract (P < 10-6) severe acute respiratory syndrome (P < 10-5), and sepsis (P < 10-3). Taken together, these data demonstrate that exposure to metals mixtures may activate gene networks related to infectious disease response. This abstract does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the EPA.