title: Mercury in Hair Is Inversely Related to Disease Associated Damage in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease, and environmental factors are proposed to exacerbate existing symptoms. One such environmental factor is mercury. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to mercury (Hg) and disease activity and disease associated damage in Total Hg concentrations in hair and urine were measured in 52 SLE patients. Dental amalgams were quantified. Disease activity was assessed using three indexes including the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group Index (BILAG). Disease associated damage was measured using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology SLICC/ACR Damage Index. Pearson's correlation identified a significant negative correlation between hair Hg and BILAG (r = -0.323, p = 0.029) and SLICC/ACR (r = -0.377, p = 0.038). Multiple regression analysis identified hair Hg as a significant predictor of disease associated damage as determined by SLICC/ACR (β = -0.366, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.769, -0.155 p = 0.019). Urinary Hg was not related to disease activity or damage. Fish consumption is the primary route of MeHg exposure in humans and the inverse association of hair Hg with disease activity observed here might be explained by the anti-inflammatory effects of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids also found in fish.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food &amp; Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland. crowe-w@email.ulster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food &amp; Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland. lc.doherty@ulster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dentistry, Environmental Medicine, and Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. watson@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Glenshane Road, Londonderry BT47 6SB, Northern Ireland. oswald17727@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Musgrave Park Hospital, Stockman's Lane, Belfast BT9 7JB, Northern Ireland. elisabethball21@googlemail.com.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food &amp; Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland. pj.magee@ulster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food &amp; Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland. pj.allsopp@ulster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allsopp
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Musgrave Park Hospital, Stockman's Lane, Belfast BT9 7JB, Northern Ireland. aubreybell05@aol.com.
authors.forename: Aubrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food &amp; Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland. jj.strain@ulster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Strain
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food &amp; Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland. em.mcsorley@ulster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Emeir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McSorley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008628:Mercury
keywords: disease activity; lupus; mercury