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Xu SM, Pan BL, Gao D, Zhang YW, Huan JP, Han X, Song J, Wang LP, Zhang HF, Niu Q, Lu XT. Blood glucose mediated the effects of cognitive function impairment related to aluminum exposure in Chinese aluminum smelting workers. Neurotoxicology 2022; 91:282-289. [PMID: 35679993 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECT To explore the effects of occupational aluminum exposure on workers' cognitive function and blood glucose concentration, and to analyze whether blood glucose concentration can mediate the cognitive changes caused by aluminum. METHOD Our study recruited 375 workers from an aluminum factory in northern China. We collected the fasting elbow venous blood of the workers, measured their fasting blood glucose concentration (FBG), and used ICP-MS to determine plasma aluminum concentration (P-Al) as an indicator of internal exposure. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), was used to assess the cognitive function of workers. Generalized linear model was used to analyze the association of P-Al with cognitive function and blood glucose concentration, and the restricted cubic spline model was used to fit the dose-response relationship. We also conducted a mediation effect analysis. RESULT We observed the dose-response relationship, that is, as the P-Al increased, sum of MoCA, visuospatial/executive, naming, language, and abstraction scores decreased, and the blood glucose concentration increased. For every e-fold increase in P-Al, sum of MoCA, visuospatial/executive, naming, language, and abstraction scores decreased by 0.328 points, 0.120 points, 0.059 points, 0.060 points, and 0.083 points, respectively, and FBG rose by 0.109 mmol/L. FBG has a significant mediating effect between P-Al and sum of MoCA (P for mediator=0.042), and it could explain 10.7% of the effect of cognitive level related to P-Al. CONCLUSION Occupational aluminum exposure negatively affected the cognitive function of workers and positively affected FBG. FBG may partially explain the impact of occupational aluminum exposure on workers' cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Meng Xu
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China; Peace Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College, China
| | - Bao-Long Pan
- Sixth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University (General hospital of Tisco), China
| | - Dan Gao
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Yun-Wei Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Jia-Ping Huan
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Xiao Han
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Jing Song
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Lin-Ping Wang
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Hui-Fang Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Qiao Niu
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Xiao-Ting Lu
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
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Lu XT, Xu SM, Zhang YW, Gao D, Yang H, Song J, Wang LP, Zhang QL, Shang N, Niu Q. Longitudinal study of the effects of occupational aluminium exposure on workers' cognition. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 271:129569. [PMID: 33453483 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of occupational aluminium(Al) exposure on workers' cognition through a longitudinal study. METHODS The study population consisted of 276 workers in an Al factory. In 2014, we used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the plasma aluminium (P-Al) concentration of the workers, and a combined questionnaire to test the workers' cognitive function. Followed-up in 2016, the workers were tested again for cognitive function. Generalized linear regression was used to assess the association between P-Al concentration and cognitive scores, and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the risk of cognitive decline caused by Al exposure. RESULTS Generalized linear regression results showed that a non-significant association was found between the P-Al concentration and cognitive test scores (P > 0.05) in 2014. Two years later, each 10-fold increase in P-Al concentration was inversely associated with the score of Mini-Mental state examination (MMSE) (β: -0.53, 95% CI: -0.86, -0.20) and Fuld object memory evaluation (FOME) (β: -0.93, 95% CI: -1.62, -0.24). Each 10-fold increase in P-Al concentration was inversely associated with MMSE2016-2014 (β: -0.38, 95% CI: -0.74, -0.01) and FOME2016-2014 (β: -1.20, 95% CI: -1.95, -0.45). There was a statistically significant difference in the average annual rate of change of MMSE and FOME with the tertile of P-Al concentration increase (P < 0.05). The multivariable logistic regression results showed that as the P-Al concentration increased, the risk of a FOME score decline increased (Ptrend = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS Continuous occupational Al exposure can damage workers' overall cognitive ability, especially episodic memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ting Lu
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China.
| | - Shi-Meng Xu
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Yun-Wei Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Dan Gao
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Jing Song
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Lin-Ping Wang
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Qin-Li Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Nan Shang
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China
| | - Qiao Niu
- Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030001, China.
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