Possible production of arsenic hemoglobin adducts via exposure to arsine.
OBJECTIVE
Arsine is an arsenic compound generated as a by-product in metal refineries. Accidental poisoning occurs sporadically; however, the administrative level for workers has not been established. Thus, it is essential to identify a highly specific biomarker for risk management in the workplace. The aim of this study was to identify an arsenic adduct, a potential biomarker, in the plasma.


METHODS
Preserved mouse blood was exposed to arsine in vitro, and the plasma was separated. The residual clot of the control sample was hemolyzed using ultrapure water, and the supernatant was collected. Plasma from mice exposed to arsine in vivo was also separated from blood. Immunoprecipitation assays were conducted using all samples after ultrafiltration, and three fractions were collected. The total arsenic concentration in each fraction was quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The three in vitro samples and the eluate fraction from immunoprecipitation were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).


RESULTS
In the exposed samples, the arsenic concentration in the fraction containing immunocomplexes was higher when immunoprecipitation was conducted with an anti-globin antibody. Three peaks were specifically observed in arsine-exposed samples after MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. Two of them were around m/z 15,000, and the other was m/z 15,700. The latter peak was confirmed even after immunoprecipitation.


CONCLUSIONS
Globin forms an adduct with arsenic after both in vitro and in vivo exposure to arsine. This adduct together with hemoglobinuria could be a candidate biomarker of acute arsine poisoning in plasma.
Department of Public Health Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki.
Takenori
T
Yamauchi
Yuko
Y
Yamano
Kenzo
K
Yamanaka
Akihisa
A
Hata
Toshio
T
Nakadate
Yoshiki
Y
Kuroda
Yoko
Y
Endo
Ginji
G
Endo
D000818:Animals; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000097:blood*; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice
D001152:Arsenicals; D015415:Biomarkers; D006454:Hemoglobins; C006633:arsine