title: Immunological alterations in individuals exposed to metal(loid)s in the Panasqueira mining area, Central Portugal.
abstract: Environmental studies performed in Panasqueira mine area (central Portugal) identified high concentrations of several metal(loid)s in environmental media, and individuals environmentally and occupationally exposed showed higher levels of As, Cr, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb and Zn in blood, urine, hair and nails when compared to unexposed controls. To evaluate the presence of immunological alterations attributable to environmental contamination, we quantified neopterin, kynurenine, tryptophan, and nitrite concentrations in plasma, and analysed the percentage of several lymphocytes subsets, namely CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells, CD19(+) B-cells, and CD16(+)56(+) natural killer (NK) cells in a group of individuals previously tested for metal(loid) levels in different biological matrices. The environmentally exposed group had significantly lower levels of %CD8(+) and higher CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios, whereas the occupationally exposed individuals showed significant decreases in %CD3(+) and %CD4(+), and significant increases in %CD16(+)56(+), when compared to controls. Analysed biomarkers were found to be influenced by age, particularly neopterin, kynurenine and kynurenine to tryptophan ratio (Kyn/Trp) with significantly higher levels in older individuals, and %CD3(+), %CD8(+) and %CD19(+) with significantly lower values in older individuals. Males environmentally exposed showed significantly lower values of %CD19(+) when compared to control females. The concentration of Pb in toenails was associated to the level of neopterin, kynurenine and Kyn/Trp ratio (all direct), and the concentration of Mn in blood to the level of %CD8(+), %CD19(+) (both inverse) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio (direct). Overall our results show that the metal(loid) contamination in Panasqueira mine area induced immunotoxic effects in exposed populations, possibly increasing susceptibility to diseases.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health, Environmental Health Department, Rua Alexandre Herculano n321, 4000-055 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: pcscoelho@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain. Electronic address: jgarciale@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Lestón
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health, Environmental Health Department, Rua Alexandre Herculano n321, 4000-055 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: solange.costa2@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health, Environmental Health Department, Rua Alexandre Herculano n321, 4000-055 Porto, Portugal; Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Rua das Taipas n135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: cstcosta@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health, Environmental Health Department, Rua Alexandre Herculano n321, 4000-055 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: susana.pinho@insa.min-saude.pt.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, Innrain 80, 4th Floor, Room M04-313, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: dietmar.fuchs@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, Innrain 80, 4th Floor, Room M04-313, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: simon.geisler@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geisler
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta, 247, 00166 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: valentina.dallarmi@sanraffaele.it.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dall'Armi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta, 247, 00166 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.zoffoli@sanraffaele.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zoffoli
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Pisana, Via di Val Cannuta, 247, 00166 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: stefano.bonassi@sanraffaele.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonassi
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain. Electronic address: eduardo.pasaro@udc.es.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pásaro
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain. Electronic address: blaffon@udc.es.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laffon
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health, Environmental Health Department, Rua Alexandre Herculano n321, 4000-055 Porto, Portugal; Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Rua das Taipas n135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: jpft12@gmail.com.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D058955:Metalloids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008670:Metals / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008906:Mining; D013601:T-Lymphocytes
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D058955:Metalloids; D008670:Metals
keywords: Immunotoxicity; Lymphocytes subsets; Metals; Mining activities; Neopterin; Tryptophan