Health Effects of Chronic Arsenic Exposure

홍영섭,송기훈,정진영 대한예방의학회 2014 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.47 No.5

Arsenic is a unique element with distinct physical characteristics and toxicity whose importance in public health is well recognized. The toxicity of arsenic varies across its different forms. While the carcinogenicity of arsenic has been confirmed, the mechanisms behind the diseases occurring after acute or chronic exposure to arsenic are not well understood. Inorganic arsenic has been confirmed as a human carcinogen that can induce skin, lung, and bladder cancer. There are also reports of its significant association to liver, prostate, and bladdercancer. Recent studies have also suggested a relationship with diabetes, neurological effects, cardiac disorders, and reproductive organs,but further studies are required to confirm these associations. The majority of research to date has examined cancer incidence aftera high exposure to high concentrations of arsenic. However, numerous studies have reported various health effects caused by chronicexposure to low concentrations of arsenic. An assessment of the health effects to arsenic exposure has never been performed in the South Korean population; thus, objective estimates of exposure levels are needed. Data should be collected on the biological exposure level for the total arsenic concentration, and individual arsenic concentration by species. In South Korea, we believe that biological exposureassessment should be the first step, followed by regular health effect assessments.

Environmental Source of Arsenic Exposure

정진영,홍영섭,유승도 대한예방의학회 2014 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.47 No.5

Arsenic is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring metalloid that may be a significant risk factor for cancer after exposure to contaminated drinking water, cigarettes, foods, industry, occupational environment, and air. Among the various routes of arsenic exposure, drinking water is the largest source of arsenic poisoning worldwide. Arsenic exposure from ingested foods usually comes from food crops grown in arsenic-contaminated soil and/or irrigated with arsenic-contaminated water. According to a recent World Health Organization report,arsenic from contaminated water can be quickly and easily absorbed and depending on its metabolic form, may adversely affect human health. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration regulations for metals found in cosmetics to protect consumers against contaminations deemed deleterious to health; some cosmetics were found to contain a variety of chemicals including heavy metals, which are sometimes used as preservatives. Moreover, developing countries tend to have a growing number of industrial factories that unfortunately, harm the environment, especially in cities where industrial and vehicle emissions, as well as household activities, cause serious air pollution. Air is also an important source of arsenic exposure in areas with industrial activity. The presence of arsenic in airborneparticulate matter is considered a risk for certain diseases. Taken together, various potential pathways of arsenic exposure seem to affect humans adversely, and future efforts to reduce arsenic exposure caused by environmental factors should be made.

The Overexpression of Histone Deacetylase 1 and Its Relationship with p16 INK4a Gene Hypermethylation in Pulmonary Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma

박종혁,최필조,홍영섭,김나영,이경은,노미숙 대한병리학회 2009 Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine Vol.43 No.2

Background : DNA methylation and histone modification are dynamically linked in the epigenetic control of gene silencing and they play an important role in tumorigenesis. Methods : To evaluate the role of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in the development of lung cancer and the relationship between a HDAC1 overexpression and p16INK4a hypermethylation, we performed immunohistochemical staining for HDAC1 in 76 lung cancer specimens (39 squamous cell carcinomas and 37 adenocarcinomas) that had been previously evaluated for their p16INK4a methylation status by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results : A HDAC1 overexpression (>50% of HDAC1 immunoreactive cells) was detected in 65 (85.5%) out of the 76 cases and it was more frequently seen in the squamous cell carcinomas (97.4%) than in the adenocarcinomas (73.0%) (p=0.002). The incidence of HDAC1 overexpression tended to be higher in the heavy smokers with more than 20 pack-years (p=0.067). Although there was no statistical significance, the frequency of p16INK4a hypermethylation in the cases with a HDAC1 overexpression (27.7%) tended to be higher than that in the cases without a HDAC1 overexpression (9.0%) (p=0.175). Conclusions : A HDAC1 overexpression might be involved in lung carcinogenesis, and especially in a subgroup of smoking and squamous cell carcinoma patients, and a HDAC1 overexpression may be associated with p16INK4a hypermethylation. Background : DNA methylation and histone modification are dynamically linked in the epigenetic control of gene silencing and they play an important role in tumorigenesis. Methods : To evaluate the role of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in the development of lung cancer and the relationship between a HDAC1 overexpression and p16INK4a hypermethylation, we performed immunohistochemical staining for HDAC1 in 76 lung cancer specimens (39 squamous cell carcinomas and 37 adenocarcinomas) that had been previously evaluated for their p16INK4a methylation status by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results : A HDAC1 overexpression (>50% of HDAC1 immunoreactive cells) was detected in 65 (85.5%) out of the 76 cases and it was more frequently seen in the squamous cell carcinomas (97.4%) than in the adenocarcinomas (73.0%) (p=0.002). The incidence of HDAC1 overexpression tended to be higher in the heavy smokers with more than 20 pack-years (p=0.067). Although there was no statistical significance, the frequency of p16INK4a hypermethylation in the cases with a HDAC1 overexpression (27.7%) tended to be higher than that in the cases without a HDAC1 overexpression (9.0%) (p=0.175). Conclusions : A HDAC1 overexpression might be involved in lung carcinogenesis, and especially in a subgroup of smoking and squamous cell carcinoma patients, and a HDAC1 overexpression may be associated with p16INK4a hypermethylation.

Relationship between Dietary Mercury Intake and Blood Mercury Level in Korea

유창훈,김병권,김유미,이상아,김록범,서정욱,홍영섭 대한의학회 2014 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.29 No.2

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of dietary factors for mercury exposure by comparing with blood mercury concentration. Study population consisted of 1,866 adults (839 men and 1,027 women) in randomly-selected 30 districts in southeast Korea. Dietary mercury intake was calculated from food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) on seafood items and 24 hr recall record. Blood mercury concentration was measured with atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean age of the subjects was 43.5±14.6 yr. The FFQ showed that mercury-laden fish (tuna, shark) and frequently-eating fish (squid, belt fish, mackerel) were important in mercury intake from fish species. The recall record suggested that fish and shellfish was a highest group (63.1%) of mercury intake and had a wide distribution in the food groups. In comparison with the blood mercury concentration, age group, sex, household income, education, drinking status and coastal area were statistically significant (P<0.001). In multiple regression analysis, coefficient from the FFQ (β=0.003) had greater effect on the blood mercury than the recall record (β=0.002), but the effect was restricted (adjusted R2=0.234). Further studies with more precise estimation of dietary mercury intake were required to evaluate the risk for mercury exposure by foods and assure risk communication with heavily-exposed group.

The level of urinary aflatoxin M1 in Korean adults

김용대,권효진,문선인,엄상용,박정덕,최병선,손석준,홍영섭,김호,권호장,임지애,윤해정,김광진,김헌 충북대학교 동물의학연구소 2012 Journal of Biomedical and Translational Research Vol.13 No.3

Competitive ELISA methods was used to measure the level of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) from urine in 1008 of Korean adults. Subjects were selected by random sampling in all area of Korea except Cheju-do. The recovery rate of AFM1 in this method was 105% (73-124%). The geometric mean of urinary AFM1 in all subjects was 3.43 pg/mL (3.67 ng/ g creatinine). The level of AFM1 in male showed statistically higher than one in female subjects. However, the levels of AFM1 were not different according to their age. The subjects in Chungbuk-do showed the highest urinary AFM1 concentration, whereas the subjects in Kyeongnam-do showed the lowest one. Assuming an excretion rate of 5%, this AFM1 excretion corresponds to about a 0.1 microgram/day in Korean adults.

Effect of dietary patterns on the blood/urine concentration of the selected toxic metals (Cd, Hg, Pb) in Korean children

우병욱,김봄,Pankaj Joshi,권성옥,김연진,오정숙,김정선,오세영,임지애,최병선,김유미,엄상용,홍영섭,손석준,박경수,표희수,김호,하미나,박정덕,권호장,이상아 한국식품과학회 2018 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.27 No.4

This study was aimed to examine the association the blood/urinary concentration of toxic metal (Hg, Pb, and Cd) with children’s dietary patterns. This cross-sectional study included 1026 school children aged 8–17 years. Dietary patterns were defined using factor loading scores for 108 foods from a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. A high blood Hg level was found in boys with a high score in the ‘fish’ pattern (p = 0.02), and in girls with a high score in ‘fruit’ pattern (p = 0.04). The concentration of Pb was related to the ‘imprudent’ pattern in high school boys (p = 0.02). The effect of the ‘vegetable’ pattern on high excretion of urinary Cd was observed in low grade elementary (p = 0.04) and middle school students (p\0.0001), and the effect of the ‘fruit’ pattern on the urinary Cd was observed in high grade elementary school students (p = 0.02). This study suggests that the concentration of selected toxic metals in blood/ urine could be affected by children’s dietary pattern.