Oxidative Stress and Repetitive Element Methylation Changes in Artisanal Gold Miners Occupationally Exposed to Mercury

Overview

Journal Heliyon

Specialty Social Sciences

Date 2017 Sep 27

PMID 28948237

Citations 5

Authors

Diana M Narvaez

Helena Groot

Sonia M Diaz

Ruth Marien Palma

Nathalia Munoz

Marie-Pierre Cros

Hector Hernandez-Vargas

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) exposure is a public health concern due to its persistence in the environment and its high toxicity. Such toxicity has been associated with the generation of oxidative stress in occupationally exposed subjects, such as artisanal gold miners. In this study, we characterize occupational exposure to Hg by measuring blood, urine and hair levels, and investigate oxidative stress and DNA methylation associated with gold mining. To do this, samples from 53 miners and 36 controls were assessed. We show higher levels of oxidative stress marker 8-OHdG in the miners. Differences in and DNA methylation between gold miners and control group are present in peripheral blood leukocytes. methylation is positively correlated with 8-OHdG levels, while and methylation are positively correlated with Hg levels. These results suggest an effect of Hg on oxidative stress and DNA methylation in gold miners that may have an impact on miners' health.

Citing Articles

Crosstalk Between Oxidative Stress and Epigenetics: Unveiling New Biomarkers in Human Infertility.

Dutta S, Sengupta P, Mottola F, Das S, Hussain A, Ashour A Cells. 2024; 13(22).

PMID: 39594595 PMC: 11593296. DOI: 10.3390/cells13221846.

The effects of flavonoids, green tea polyphenols and coffee on DMBA induced LINE-1 DNA hypomethylation.

Szabo L, Molnar R, Tomesz A, Deutsch A, Darago R, Nowrasteh G PLoS One. 2021; 16(4):e0250157.

PMID: 33878138 PMC: 8057585. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250157.

The Clinical Importance of the Mercury Problem in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining.

Afrifa J, Opoku Y, Gyamerah E, Ashiagbor G, Sorkpor R Front Public Health. 2019; 7:131.

PMID: 31192183 PMC: 6549531. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00131.

The role of environmental exposures and the epigenome in health and disease.

Perera B, Faulk C, Svoboda L, Goodrich J, Dolinoy D Environ Mol Mutagen. 2019; 61(1):176-192.

PMID: 31177562 PMC: 7252203. DOI: 10.1002/em.22311.

High Efficiency Mercury Sorption by Dead Biomass of -New Insights into the Treatment of Contaminated Water.

Vega-Paez J, Rivas R, Dussan-Garzon J Materials (Basel). 2019; 12(8).

PMID: 31010243 PMC: 6514844. DOI: 10.3390/ma12081296.

References

Akers S, Moysich K, Zhang W, Collamat Lai G, Miller A, Lele S . LINE1 and Alu repetitive element DNA methylation in tumors and white blood cells from epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Gynecol Oncol. 2013; 132(2):462-7. PMC: 3945034. DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2013.12.024. View

Parks J, Johs A, Podar M, Bridou R, Hurt Jr R, Smith S . The genetic basis for bacterial mercury methylation. Science. 2013; 339(6125):1332-5. DOI: 10.1126/science.1230667. View

Zhou Z, Lei Y, Wang C . Analysis of aberrant methylation in DNA repair genes during malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells induced by cadmium. Toxicol Sci. 2011; 125(2):412-7. DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr320. View

Li P, Feng X, Qiu G . Methylmercury exposure and health effects from rice and fish consumption: a review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010; 7(6):2666-91. PMC: 2905572. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph7062666. View

Carter A, Salem A, Hedges D, Keegan C, Kimball B, Walker J . Genome-wide analysis of the human Alu Yb-lineage. Hum Genomics. 2004; 1(3):167-78. PMC: 3525081. DOI: 10.1186/1479-7364-1-3-167. View

Ruiz-Hernandez A, Kuo C, Rentero-Garrido P, Tang W, Redon J, Ordovas J . Environmental chemicals and DNA methylation in adults: a systematic review of the epidemiologic evidence. Clin Epigenetics. 2015; 7:55. PMC: 4433069. DOI: 10.1186/s13148-015-0055-7. View

Xing J, Hedges D, Han K, Wang H, Cordaux R, Batzer M . Alu element mutation spectra: molecular clocks and the effect of DNA methylation. J Mol Biol. 2004; 344(3):675-82. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2004.09.058. View

Berglund M, Lind B, Bjornberg K, Palm B, Einarsson O, Vahter M . Inter-individual variations of human mercury exposure biomarkers: a cross-sectional assessment. Environ Health. 2005; 4:20. PMC: 1262739. DOI: 10.1186/1476-069X-4-20. View

Park J, Zheng W . Human exposure and health effects of inorganic and elemental mercury. J Prev Med Public Health. 2012; 45(6):344-52. PMC: 3514464. DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.2012.45.6.344. View

10.

Koedrith P, Kim H, Weon J, Seo Y . Toxicogenomic approaches for understanding molecular mechanisms of heavy metal mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2013; 216(5):587-98. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2013.02.010. View

11.

Chen C, Yu H, Zhao J, Li B, Qu L, Liu S . The roles of serum selenium and selenoproteins on mercury toxicity in environmental and occupational exposure. Environ Health Perspect. 2006; 114(2):297-301. PMC: 1367848. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.7861. View

12.

Prior S, Miousse I, Nzabarushimana E, Pathak R, Skinner C, Kutanzi K . Densely ionizing radiation affects DNA methylation of selective LINE-1 elements. Environ Res. 2016; 150:470-481. PMC: 5003736. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.06.043. View

13.

Wang Y, Li F, Zhang G, Kang L, Qin B, Guan H . Altered DNA Methylation and Expression Profiles of 8-Oxoguanine DNA Glycosylase 1 in Lens Tissue from Age-related Cataract Patients. Curr Eye Res. 2014; 40(8):815-21. DOI: 10.3109/02713683.2014.957778. View

14.

Koturbash I, Miousse I, Sridharan V, Nzabarushimana E, Skinner C, Melnyk S . Radiation-induced changes in DNA methylation of repetitive elements in the mouse heart. Mutat Res. 2016; 787:43-53. PMC: 4828271. DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2016.02.009. View

15.

Herceg Z, Vaissiere T . Epigenetic mechanisms and cancer: an interface between the environment and the genome. Epigenetics. 2011; 6(7):804-19. DOI: 10.4161/epi.6.7.16262. View

16.

Koedrith P, Seo Y . Advances in carcinogenic metal toxicity and potential molecular markers. Int J Mol Sci. 2012; 12(12):9576-95. PMC: 3257147. DOI: 10.3390/ijms12129576. View

17.

Gibb H, OLeary K . Mercury exposure and health impacts among individuals in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining community: a comprehensive review. Environ Health Perspect. 2014; 122(7):667-72. PMC: 4080518. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307864. View

18.

Miousse I, Chalbot M, Lumen A, Ferguson A, Kavouras I, Koturbash I . Response of transposable elements to environmental stressors. Mutat Res Rev Mutat Res. 2015; 765:19-39. PMC: 4544780. DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2015.05.003. View

19.

Archer S, Marsboom G, Kim G, Zhang H, Toth P, Svensson E . Epigenetic attenuation of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a basis for excessive cell proliferation and a new therapeutic target. Circulation. 2010; 121(24):2661-71. PMC: 2914302. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.916098. View

20.

Olivero-Verbel J, Caballero-Gallardo K, Marrugo Negrete J, Negrete-Marrugo J . Relationship between localization of gold mining areas and hair mercury levels in people from Bolivar, north of Colombia. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2011; 144(1-3):118-32. DOI: 10.1007/s12011-011-9046-5. View