title: Mercury exposure, serum antinuclear antibodies, and serum cytokine levels in the Long Island Study of Seafood Consumption: A cross-sectional study in NY, USA.
abstract: Mercury (Hg) is a well-known neurotoxin, and has been more recently studied specifically as an immunotoxin. In experimental and a few epidemiologic studies, Hg has been associated with distinct cytokine profiles and antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity, though patterns at lower levels of exposure, typical of seafood consumers with a western diet, are not well characterized. Seafood consumers (n=287) recruited on Long Island, NY completed food frequency and health questionnaires and provided blood for analysis of Hg, poly-unsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids), selenium (Se), ANA, and several cytokines (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α, IL-17, IFN-γ, and IL-1ra). Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between serum Hg and cytokines and ANA. Adjusted models accounted for gender, age, ethnicity, income, education, smoking, BMI, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, omega-6/omega-3 ratio, and fish intake. Sex-stratified models were also generated with the expectation that immune profiles would differ between women and men. Median blood Hg was 4.58µg/L with 90th %ile =19.8µg/L. Nine individuals displayed ANA positivity at serum titers above 1:80; many of the cytokines were below detection limits, and the ability to detect was used in the logistic regression analyses. In linear and logistic regression analyses, Hg was not significantly associated with any of the seven investigated cytokines or with ANA-positivity. Therefore, Hg was not associated with altered immune profiles in this population of seafood consumers.
authors.affiliation: Undergraduate Studies, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8338, United States of America; Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8338, United States of America. Electronic address: rnmonastero@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rebecca N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Monastero
authors.affiliation: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8338, United States of America; School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, United States of America; Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, United States of America. Electronic address: Roxanne.karimi@stonybrook.edu.
authors.forename: Roxanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.affiliation: Salisbury University Department of Biological Sciences, Henson Science Hall, 232, Salisbury, MD 21801, United States of America. Electronic address: jfnyland@salisbury.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Nyland
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Trace Inorganics Laboratory, RTP, NC 27709, United States of America. Electronic address: jharrington@rti.org.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Trace Inorganics Laboratory, RTP, NC 27709, United States of America. Electronic address: levine@rti.org.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8338, United States of America; Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, United States of America; Program in Public Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8338, United States of America; Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8338, United States of America. Electronic address: Jaymie.meliker@stonybrook.edu.
authors.forename: Jaymie R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Meliker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D016207:Cytokines; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Adult; Fish; Hg; Immunology; PUFAs