Association between arsenic exposure from drinking water and plasma levels of soluble cell adhesion molecules.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiologic studies of cardiovascular disease risk factors and appropriate biomarkers in populations exposed to a wide range of arsenic levels are a public health research priority.


OBJECTIVE
We investigated the relationship between inorganic arsenic exposure from drinking water and plasma levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), both markers of endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation, in an arsenic-exposed population in Araihazar, Bangladesh.


METHODS
The study participants included 115 individuals with arsenic-related skin lesions participating in a 2 x 2 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of vitamin E and selenium supplementation. Arsenic exposure status and plasma levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were assessed at baseline and after 6 months of follow-up.


RESULTS
Baseline well arsenic, a long-term measure of arsenic exposure, was positively associated with baseline levels of both sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 and with changes in the two markers over time. At baseline, for every 1-mug/L increase in well arsenic there was an increase of 0.10 ng/mL [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.00-0.20] and 0.33 ng/mL (95% CI, 0.15-0.51) in plasma sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1, respectively. Every 1-microg/L increase in well arsenic was associated with a rise of 0.11 ng/mL (95% CI, 0.01-0.22) and 0.17 ng/mL (95% CI, 0.00-0.35) in sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 from baseline to follow-up, respectively, in spite of recent changes in urinary arsenic as well as vitamin E and selenium supplementation during the study period.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings indicate an effect of chronic arsenic exposure from drinking water on vascular inflammation that persists over time and also suggest a potential mechanism underlying the association between arsenic exposure and cardiovascular disease.
Chen
Yu
Y
Departments of Environmental Medicine and Medicine, and New York University Cancer Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA. Y.Chen@med.nyu.edu
Santella
Regina M
RM
Kibriya
Muhammad G
MG
Wang
Qiao
Q
Kappil
Maya
M
Verret
Wendy J
WJ
Graziano
Joseph H
JH
Ahsan
Habibul
H
D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014881:Water Supply
D015415:Biomarkers; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D001151:Arsenic