title: Arsenic exposure associated with decreased bone mineralization in male.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Arsenic (As) exposure may cause several medical problems. There were a few studies investigated whether it has affected bone tissue in women. However, there was no study in men. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between bone mineral density (BMD) and As exposure in men subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled in this study 254 subjects who due to chronic As exposure suspected and 82 subjects as a control group. Hair As levels were detected by a hair analysis (Varian AA240Z Zeeman Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, USA). BMD measurements were obtained using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry instrumentation. We investigated associations between the hair As levels and BMD measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of osteoporosis and osteopenia was found to be 0.8% and 54.5%, respectively, in the As exposure group. The frequency of osteoporosis was found to be 1% and osteopenia was 32.4% in control subjects. There was significant difference between two groups (p < 0.001). Hair As level has a median 1.01 (min: 0.06 and max: 25.71). There were no significant correlation between hair As levels and BMD measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our observations, As exposure was associated with bone metabolism. Possible cause of osteopenia may be exposure to As. Further investigations are needed to estimate the relationship between As and bone metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Onsekiz Mart University , Çanakkale , Turkey and.
authors.forename: Ayla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbal
authors.forename: Hınç
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tutkun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000150:complications*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000139:chemically induced; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Arsenic; body mineral density measurements; male