Comparison of essential and toxic elements in esophagus, lung, mouth and urinary bladder male cancer patients with related to controls

The preventive and carcinogenic effect of metals on cancer: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Many studies have investigated the role of metals in various types of malignancies. Considering the wide range of studies conducted in this field and the achievement of different results, the presented systematic review was performed to obtain the results of investigations on the prevention and occurrence of various types of cancer associated with metal exposures.

METHODS

In this review, research was conducted in the three databases: Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science without historical restrictions until May 31, 2024. Animal studies, books, review articles, conference papers, and letters to the editors were omitted. The special checklist of Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) was used for the quality assessment of the articles. Finally, the findings were classified according to the effect of the metal as preventive or carcinogenic.

RESULTS

The total number of retrieved articles was 4695, and 71 eligible results were used for further investigation. In most studies, the concentration of toxic metals such as lead (Pb), chromium (Cr (VI)), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni) in the biological and clinical samples of cancer patients was higher than that of healthy people. In addition, the presence of essential elements, such as selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in tolerable low concentrations was revealed to have anti-cancer properties, while exposure to high concentrations has detrimental health effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Metals have carcinogenic effects at high levels of exposure. Taking preventive measures, implementing timely screening, and reducing the emission of metal-associated pollutants can play an effective role in reducing cancer rates around the world.

Quantitative profiling and baseline intervals of trace elements in healthy lung tissues

BACKGROUND

Human lung tissue, as an interface with the environment, is susceptible to various environmental pollutants, including trace metals. However, quantitative data on trace metals in human lung tissues remain poorly described.

METHODS

This study aimed to characterize the elemental composition of histologically healthy, unaffected parts of human lung tissues, associated with non-infective, non-infiltrative, and non-malignant diseases (n = 60) for essential (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, and Se) and toxic trace elements (Sr, Ni, As, Cd, and Pb). Additionally, we investigated the influence of personal factors (sex, age, and smoking habits) on the examined trace element profiles, as well as between the trace elements correlations in the healthy human lungs.

RESULTS

Among the analyzed trace elements, Fe was the most prevalent, while As was the least prevalent in healthy lung tissues. Stratifying by age revealed significantly higher Cr and Co (less Sr, Ni, and Pb) and lower Se levels in older individuals (above 65 years) compared to their younger counterparts. Sex-based differences were also notable, with Cu and Co 1.2- and 2.3-fold higher levels in females than in males. Exploring the impact of smoking habits revealed a striking 10-fold increase in Cd levels in the lung tissues of smokers compared to non-smokers. Correlation analyses showed significant positive associations between concentrations of certain toxic and essential trace elements in healthy lung tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

This study could contribute to the establishment of baseline intervals for essential and toxic trace elements, valuable for toxicological and clinical assessment, in healthy, unaffected human lungs, and indicates the influence of sex, age, and smoking. However, further larger-scale studies are needed to make more stable conclusions.

Carcinogenic effect of arsenic in digestive cancers: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The carcinogenic effect of arsenic (As) has been documented in lung, bladder and skin cancers but remains unclear for digestive cancers, although metabolic pathways of As and recent data suggest that it may be an important determinant in these malignancies as well.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to systematically review the available literature investigating the potential association between As and digestive cancers.

METHODS

An extensive search was conducted in Medline Ovid SP, Cochrane, PubMed, Embase.com, Cochrane Library Wiley, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Studies providing original data in humans, with As measurement and analysis of association with digestive cancers including esogastric cancers (esophagus and stomach), hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) cancers (including biliary tract, liver and pancreas) and colorectal cancers were eligible.

RESULTS

A total of 35 studies were identified, 17 ecological, 13 case-control and 5 cohort studies. Associations between As and digestive cancers were reported for both risks of incidence and cancer-related mortality. Overall, 43% (3/7) and 48% (10/21) studies highlighted an association between As and the incidence or the mortality of digestive cancers, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of studies exploring the potential link between As and digestive cancers suggested an association, particularly in HPB malignancies. These findings emphasize the need to further investigate this topic with dedicated and high-quality studies, as it may have an important impact, including for prevention strategies.

Quantitative estimation of essential/toxic elemental levels in the serum of esophagus cancer patients in relation to controls

Esophageal cancer is a very deadly disease ranking 8th most common cancer in terms of incidence and the 6th highest in terms of mortality both in the USA and around the world. A growing body of evidence indicated that changes in the concentrations of essential and toxic elements may affect/increase esophagus carcinoma risk. The aim of this study was to measure serum levels of essential and toxic (Fe, Na, Ca, K, Zn, Mg, Co, Se, Cu, Ni, Mn, Sr, Pb, Li, Sb, Cr, Ag, Cd, As, and Hg) elements in patients with esophagus carcinoma and controls. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine serum concentrations of essential and toxic elements by using nitric acid/perchloric acid-based wet digestion method. Mean levels of Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, As, and Ag were exhibited to be significantly higher and mean Se, Co, Zn, Ca, Fe, Hg, Li, and Mg were noted lower in the serum of cancer patients than controls. The correlation coefficients among the elements in the cancerous patients revealed significantly dissimilar communal relationships than the controls. Furthermore, multivariate methods demonstrated considerably different apportionment between the elements in the cancerous patients and the controls. Significant inequalities in the elemental concentrations were also observed for esophagus cancer types (adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) and stages (I, II, III, and IV) between the patients. Majority of the elements exposed perceptible disparities in their levels based on smoking habits, dietary habits, habitat, and gender of the esophagus cancer patients and controls. Multivariate analysis of the essential and toxic elemental data explained significantly divergent apportionment in the serum of esophagus cancer patients when compared to controls.

Risk Assessment of Macronutrients and Minerals by Processed, Street, and Restaurant Traditional Pakistani Foods: a Case Study

The current work is aimed to assess the impact of macronutrient and mineral contents in food products of packaged food, restaurant food, and street food in Hyderabad. The estimated daily intake of macronutrients and minerals, followed by the toxic risk assessment of microminerals by consuming studied food dishes, was also conducted. The collected products were freeze-dried and standard procedures for measuring macronutrients were followed. At the same time, the acid digestion method was used to prepare the solution for detecting minerals by atomic absorption spectrometry. The resulting data indicated that all the food dishes supplied 134-454 kcals/100 g. The chicken/meat and pulse food dishes of all three categories were enriched with protein except bhindi masala. All the food dishes have a massive variation in fat contents and differ based on the used quantity of hydrogenated oil during their preparations. A significant difference in the macro- and microminerals in studied food products was observed. However, all food dishes are a good supplementary source of fundamental nutrients, supplying the recommended daily allowances for adults. The estimated hazardous index (I_h) of microminerals in some street and restaurant food products (based on a survey) showed possible toxicity risk, especially for the workers of automechanic workshops (I_h > 1.00). Thus, it is concluded that the contaminated (cheap) raw materials and unhygienic conditions for preparing street and restaurant foods and hawking places (atmospheric pollution) are the significant sources of micromineral contamination.

Nutritional Assessment and Proximate Analysis of Selected Vegetables Grown in Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan

Food security and protection are the most crucial concerns worldwide. However, vegetables may significantly contribute to the macro and micro-nutrients for good health compared to dietary supplements. Eight vegetables of the Larkanadivision, namely spinach (Spinacia oleracea), brinjal (Solanum melongina L.), sponge gourd (Luffa acutangula), lotus root (Lelumbo nucifera), okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), coriander leave (Coriandrum sativum), fenugreek leave (Trigonella foenum graecum), and cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) were studied for their proximate, macro and micro-mineral contents to estimate their importance in human nutrition. The results showed that almost all vegetables contain appreciable amounts of essential nutrients. All the vegetables showed moisture contents of >70.00%. Lotus and sponge gourd have a maximum level of carbohydrates (>10.00%). Fiber was found in the range of 2.70 – 5.10%, with the highest in the okra. Protein and fat were found at < 4.00%, with maximum protein in spinach and fat in fenugreek leaves. The studied vegetables showed maximum levels of K and Ca, followed by Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Cu while Cr and Mn were observed to be < 5.00 µg/g. The macro and micro-minerals in the studied vegetables were within the maximum permissible limits recommended by WHO. Moreover, the eight studied vegetables of the Larkana division can also provide up to 1.00% of the required dietary daily intake of macro and micro-nutrients as recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board.

The relationship between oral cancer and cadmium: a review

Cadmium (Cd) has been classified as a type I carcinogen. Since it is ingested orally through food and tobacco use, Cd is likely to be closely related to oral cancers. The relationship between cadmium and oral cancer was investigated using papers on Pubmed and Web of Science. Thus a total of 11 studies from these databases were included in the review. Cd concentrations were significantly higher in both the blood and hair of oral cancer patients than in controls. Additionally, it has been reported that Cd increases the activity of reactive oxygen species. Tobacco plants contain varying levels of Cd. The presence of high Cd concentrations in patients who use tobacco products and develop oral cancer is strong evidence that Cd is directly related to oral cancer. While planning a study to determine the Cd concentrations in biological samples, it is advisable to examine the methodologies of previous studies and to avoid technical deficiencies. New cell line studies are required to explain the relationship between Cd and autophagy-apoptosis.

Environmental Cadmium Exposure Promotes the Development, Progression and Chemoradioresistance of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cadmium (Cd) exposure has been implicated in the etiology of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), albeit with inconsistent results from epidemiologic studies and without causal evidence. In this study, we explore the relationship of Cd exposure and the development, progression and therapeutic resistance of ESCC. A total of 150 ESCC patients and 177 matched controls from a coastal region with a high incidence of ESCC in China were included in the study. It was found that the median blood Cd level (BCL) was significantly higher in ESCC patients than that in the controls. Odds ratios for ESCC risk were 3.12 (95% CI 1.54-6.30) and 3.71 (95% CI 1.84-7.48) in the third and fourth quartiles of Cd distribution, respectively. Notably, BCL above 4.71 μg/L was strongly associated with shorter progression-free survival time compared to that below 1.60 μg/L (p < 0.001). The chronic Cd-treated ESCC cells (CCT-ESCC) CCT-EC109 and CCT-EC9706 exhibited increased cell proliferation and tumorigenesis, enhanced migration and invasion, and upregulated EMT biomarkers following 12 weeks of exposure to 5 μM cadmium chloride. Furthermore, Cd treatment attenuated the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin and irradiation treatment in CCT-ESCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we revealed that Cd stimulated the cancer cell stemness and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the CCT-ESCC cells. Additionally, 5-aza-2-deoxy-cytidine treatment resulted in suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and rescue of the Cd-induced cell radioresistance. These results offer new insights into the role of environmental Cd exposure in the development, progression and chemoradioresistance of ESCC.

Low Blood-As Levels and Selected Genotypes Appears to Be Promising Biomarkers for Occurrence of Colorectal Cancer in Women

In following study we examined whether blood arsenic (As) levels combined with specific polymorphisms in MT1B, GSTP1, ABCB1, NQO1, CRTC3, GPX1, SOD2, CAT, XRCC1, ERCC2 can be used as a marker for the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) among Polish women. A retrospective case-control study of CRC included 83 CRC cases and 78 healthy controls. From each study participant pre-treatment peripheral blood was collected for As level measurement by inductively coupled–plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We estimated the odds ratio (OR) of the association between blood-As levels and CRC using multivariable unconditional logistic regression models. A low blood-As level (0.27–0.67 µg/L) was associated with an increased frequency of CRC (OR: 3.69; p = 0.005). This correlation was significantly greater when participants carried particular gene variants: CAT, rs1001179-nonCC (OR: 19.4; p = 0.001); ABCB1 rs2032582–CC (OR: 14.8; p = 0.024); GPX1 rs1050450-CC (OR: 11.6; p = 0.002) and CRTC3 rs12915189-nonGG (OR: 10.3; p = 0.003). Our study provides strong evidence that low blood-As levels are significantly associated with increased CRC occurrence and that particular gene variants significantly enhanced this correlation however, due to the novelty of these findings, we suggest further validation before a definitive statement that the combined effect of low blood-As levels with specific gene polymorphisms is a suitable CRC biomarker.

Effects of EDTA on adsorption of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by soil minerals in low-permeability layers: batch experiments and microscopic characterization

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) can serve as a washing agent in the remediation of low-permeability layers contaminated by heavy metals (HMs). Therefore, batch adsorption experiments, where pure quartz (SM1) and mineral mixtures (SM2) were used as typical soil minerals (SMs) in low-permeability layers, were implemented to explore the effects of different EDTA concentrations, pH, and exogenous chemicals on the HM-SM-EDTA adsorption system. As the EDTA concentration increased, it gradually cut down the maximum Cd adsorption capacities of SM1 and SM2 from approximately 135 to 55 mg/kg and 2660 to 1453 mg/kg; and the maximum Pb adsorption capacities of SM1 and SM2 were reduced from 660 to 306 mg/kg and 19,677 to 19,262 mg/kg, respectively. When the initial mole ratio (MR = moles of HM ions/sum of moles of HM ions and EDTA) was closer to 0.5, the effect of EDTA was more effective. Additionally, EDTA worked well at pH below 7.0 and 4.0 for Cd and Pb, respectively. Low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) affected the system mainly by bridging, complexation, adsorption site competition, and reductive dissolution. Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺ ions could significantly increase the Cd and Pb adsorption onto SM2. Notably, there were characteristic changes in mineral particles, including attachment of EDTA and microparticles, agglomeration, connection, and smoother surfaces, making the specific surface area (SSA) decrease from 16.73 to 12.59 m²/g. All findings indicated that EDTA could effectively and economically reduce the HM adsorption capacity of SMs at the reasonable MR value, contact time, and pH; EDTA reduced the HM adsorption capacity of SMs not only by complexation with HM ions but also by decreasing SSA and blocking active sites. Hence, the acquired insight from the presented study can help to promote the remediation of contaminated low-permeability layers in groundwater.

Acceleration and centralization of a back-diffusion process: Effects of EDTA-2Na on cadmium migration in high- and low-permeability systems

Pollutant accumulation in the low-permeability zones (LPZs) in groundwater systems is regarded as a secondary source, and its consequent back-diffusion can extend the timeframe of pump-and-treat remediation. However, the bioavailability and mobility of heavy metals and the medium characteristics can be changed during the process. This study investigated the accumulation and back-diffusion law of toxic metals and the effects of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na) on them by implementing a series of tank experiments. In these experiments, a cadmium solution was injected first, and deionized water or EDTA-2Na constantly washed the system consisting of different medium layers. The experimental results showed that the cadmium breakthrough curves had some concentration gradient reverse points where the curves fluctuated with elution by deionized water, which did not exist when EDTA-2Na was the eluent. In these scenarios, the mass of accumulated cadmium in the media before elution was large, with a value of 931 mg (153 mg/kg), when the low-permeability medium was clay. However, when EDTA-2Na was injected together with cadmium, the value dropped to 319 mg (52.3 mg/kg), greatly reducing the cadmium accumulation. Additionally, the use of EDTA-2Na as an eluent resulted in the appearance of a secondary peak in the breakthrough curve, showing that EDTA-2Na accelerated and centralized the back-diffusion. Notably, the reduced cadmium accumulation in LPZs with the elution by EDTA-2Na was partly due to a reduced adsorption capacity of the clay minerals. The above results can advance the technology related to pump-and-treat remediation.

Inhibition of ROS/NUPR1-dependent autophagy antagonises repeated cadmium exposure -induced oral squamous cell carcinoma cell migration and invasion

Cadmium (Cd), an established carcinogen, is a risk factor for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Macroautophagy/autophagy is proposed to play a pivotal role in Cd-mediated carcinogenic activity. However, the mechanisms underlying Cd-induced autophagy are poorly understood. In the present study, a CAL27 OSCC cell line exposed to 10^-6 M Cd for 8 weeks was used as a model system. Repeated Cd exposure induced significant migration and invasion of CAL27 cells. Furthermore, we showed that Cd increased the autophagic flux in CAL27 cells, as evidenced by the upregulation of LC3-II and the downregulation of P62/SQSTM1. The genetic blocking of autophagy inhibited Cd-induced migration and invasion, indicating a carcinogenic role of autophagy in Cd-treated CAL27 cells. Cd-induced NUPR1 expression, which contributes to lysosomal biogenesis and expression of autophagy-related gene, was found to mechanistically initiate autophagy in CAL27 cells. Of note, NUPR1 shRNA abolished Cd-induced autophagy both in vitro and in vivo. We also found that Cd triggered the generation of MDA in a xenograft tumour model and that N-acetyl-l-cysteine, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, abrogated the effects of Cd on NUPR1-dependent autophagy in vivo. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ROS-dependent NUPR1-mediated autophagy plays an important role in repeated Cd exposure -induced cell growth, migration and invasion in OSCC cells.

Associations of trace elements in blood with the risk of isolated ventricular septum defects and abnormal cardiac structure in children

This study sought to determine correlations between the presence of isolated ventricular septum defects (VSDs) and blood levels of trace elements. A total of 144 patients with VSDs and 144 controls were recruited for cross-sectional assessment of trace elements and examination of cardiac structures in the Jiangsu and Anhui provinces between 2016 and 2018. Logistic regression was performed to explore the relationships between VSDs and trace elements. Additionally, general linear regression models were used to investigate relationships between trace elements and echocardiography indicators. Relative to the lowest zinc (Zn) concentrations, the highest Zn concentrations may be associated with lower odds of VSD development (OR = 0.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01-0.29, P < 0.001). However, no significant relationships between the concentrations of other trace elements and the risk of VSD were identified. Aorta (AO) diameters were markedly smaller in the VSD group, whereas no significant between-group differences were observed for other echocardiography indicators. After adjusting for age and gender, linear regression indicated a significant association between Zn level and mean AO diameter (beta coefficient = 0.247, 95% CI = 0.126-0.367). Zn deficiency was observed in patients with isolated VSDs. Further work to explore the mechanisms by which Zn deficiency leads to VSDs is warranted.