title: High lead exposure is associated with telomere length shortening in Chinese battery manufacturing plant workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Critically shortening of telomere length caused by various factors including environmental pollutants results in genome instability and age-associated diseases. Lead is one of the ubiquitous environmental and occupational pollutants, potentially affecting public health even at a low level. However, it is still unclear whether lead exposure affects telomere length. This study aims to investigate the association between lead exposure and peripheral white blood cell telomere length (PWBTL) in Chinese battery manufacturing plant workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lead levels in blood (BLL) and urine (ULL) were evaluated using flame atomic absorption spectrometry and lead mobilisation test for body lead burden (BLB) assessment, respectively. Quantitative PCR was employed to determine relative PWBTL. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the associations of telomere length and other variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PWBTL averaged 1.76 (telomere/single-copy gene of albumin, T/S) in 144 battery plant workers. Significantly shorter PWBTL was observed in the workers with abnormal BLL and/or ULL than those with normal ones (1.66±0.63 vs 1.91±0.46, p=0.010). In all workers, PWBTL was in negative correlations with BLL, ULL, time working at the plant (working length) and body mass index. A strong inverse correlation was observed between PWBTL and BLB (r=-0.70, p<0.0001) in those with abnormal BLL and ULL. GLMSELECT model showed in the subgroup of inpatient workers, working length and BLB were significantly in inverse associations with PWBTL, while BLL was in weak positive association with PWBTL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that PWBTL shortening is associated with long-term lead exposure and that PWBTL may be one of the targets damaged by lead toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Fourth Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, China. wyxingz@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Yixing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yimin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lingeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D001822:Body Burden; D002681:China; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000652:urine; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008954:Models, Biological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000652:urine; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D009790:Occupations; D016615:Telomere; D059506:Telomere Shortening; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D007854:Lead