Heavy Metals in the Environment and Thyroid Cancer

Urease combined with CdSe quantum dots as an enzyme sensor for quantitative detection of some metals in water

This investigation illustrates the potential role of urease as an enzymatic sensor in conjunction with CdSe quantum dots (QDs) for the detection of various metals present in aqueous environments. The enzyme urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea, resulting to the production of carbon dioxide and ammonia. The formation of ammonia leads to an increase in the pH of the solution, which in turn enhances the fluorescence of the CdSe quantum dots. In contrast, the presence of different metal can inhibit enzyme activity, thereby reducing ammonia production, which results in less pronounced pH changes and a subsequent increase in the fluorescence of the QDs. These variations are dependent on the concentration of the metals, allowing for the detection of several metals in water. This method enables the identification of metals such as Cu, Co, Mg, Fe, Cr, Zn, and Ni, with a detection limit of 0.2 μM. This level of sensitivity is adequate for evaluating the safety of water intended for various food products.

Synthesis and application of bismuth nanoparticle-loaded longan porous carbon for simultaneous electrochemical determination of Pb(II) and cd(II) in seafoods

The discarded longan shell-derived porous carbon material (LPC) served as a scaffold for synthesizing bismuth nanoparticle-loaded longan porous carbon nanocomposite (BiNPs@LPC) via a hydrothermal method. Then BiNPs@LPC was utilized to modify screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE) for simultaneous detection of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The material was thoroughly characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. BiNPs@LPC exhibited abundant porous structures, high surface area, and numerous active sites, which could improve significantly response sensitivity. Under optimal conditions, the peak currents of Pb(II) and Cd(II) exhibited favorable linear relationships with the concentration within a range of 0.1-150 μg L-1, with detection limits (S/N = 3) of 0.02 μg L-1 and 0.03 μg L-1, respectively. BiNPs@LPC/SPCE demonstrated remarkable selectivity, stability and repeatability. The proposed method was successfully applied for the detection of Pb(II) and Cd(II) in seafoods achieving satisfying recovery of 97.8%-108.3% and 96.7%-106.4%. These excellent test properties were coupled with convenience for batch preparation of the modified electrodes, highlighting its potential for practical applications in heavy metal detection of real samples.

Cytogenetic damage by vanadium(IV) and vanadium(III) on the bone marrow of mice

Vanadium is a strategic metal that has many important industrial applications and is generated by the use of burning fossil fuels, which inevitably leads to their release into the environment, mainly in the form of oxides. The wastes generated by their use represent a major health hazard. Furthermore, it has attracted attention because several genotoxicity studies have shown that some vanadium compounds can affect DNA; among the most studied compounds is vanadium pentoxide, but studies in vivo with oxidation states IV and III are scarce and controversial. In this study, the genotoxic and cytotoxic potential of vanadium oxides was investigated in mouse bone marrow cells using structural chromosomal aberration (SCA) and mitotic index (MI) test systems. Three groups were administered vanadium(IV) tetraoxide (V2O4) intraperitoneally at 4.7, 9.4 or 18.8 mg/kg, and three groups were administered vanadium(III) trioxide (V2O3) at 4.22, 8.46 or 16.93 mg/kg body weight. The control group was treated with sterile water, and the positive control group was treated with cadmium(II) chloride (CdCl2). After 24 h, all doses of vanadium compounds increased the percentage of cells with SCA and decreased the MI. Our results demonstrated that under the present experimental conditions and doses, treatment with V2O4 and V2O3 induces chromosomal aberrations and alters cell division in the bone marrow of mice.

Raptinal: a powerful tool for rapid induction of apoptotic cell death

Chemical inducers of apoptosis have been utilized for decades as tools to uncover steps of the apoptotic cascade and to treat various diseases, most notably cancer. While there are several useful compounds available, limitations in potency, universality, or speed of cell death of these pro-apoptotic agents have meant that no single compound is suitable for all (or most) purposes. Raptinal is a recently described small molecule that induces intrinsic pathway apoptosis rapidly and reliably, and consequently, has been utilized in cell culture and whole organisms for a wide range of biological studies. Its distinct mechanism of action complements the current arsenal of cytotoxic compounds, making it useful as a probe for the apoptosis pathway and other cellular processes. The rapid induction of cell death by Raptinal and its widespread commercial availability make it the pro-apoptotic agent of choice for many applications.

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.

Carbon Dot-Stabilized Hydrogel Composite: A New Adsorbent for Efficient and Sustainable Pb(II) Removal

In this paper, a carbon dot hydrogel composite (CDs-Hy) capable of efficiently removing Pb(II) was prepared by hydrogen bonding self-assembly in combination with carbon dots and a hydrogel. CDs-Hy was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the effect of the adsorption conditions on the adsorption efficiency of CDs-Hy was studied. The results of the study showed that the incorporation of carbon dots, on the one hand, significantly increased the adsorption capacity of the material. On the other hand, it can increase the stability of hydrogels in aqueous solution. The possible adsorption mechanisms were further verified as ion exchange and coordination. CDs-Hy is a novel adsorbent material capable of removing Pb2+ efficiently, which can be reused several times with high stability.

A critical review on the ecotoxicity of heavy metal on multispecies in global context: A bibliometric analysis

Heavy metals (HMs) have become a significant concern in the current era, with deleterious effects on diverse living organisms when exposed beyond threshold concentrations. Both nature and human beings have been constantly casting out HMs into environmental matrices through various activities. Innumerable cases of threatened diseases such as cancer, respiratory ailments, reproductive defects, skin diseases, and several others have been a cause of significant concern for humans as the number of instances has been increasing with each decade. HMs migrates via several pathways to infiltrate biological organisms and amass within them. Even though numerous treatment approaches are available for remediating HM pollution, however, they are expensive, along with other setbacks. Due to such constraints, combating HM contamination requires environmentally conscious strategies like bioremediation, which employs an array of biological systems to remove HMs from the environment. Nonetheless, to address the current global HM pollution situation, it is critical to comprehend not only how these hazardous HMs cause toxicity in various living organisms but also the knowledge gaps that currently exist concerning the subject of HM ecotoxicity. In the present investigation, data was extracted from Google Scholar using software program called Harzing's Publish or Perish. The collected information has been subsequently displayed as a network file using the VOSViewer software tool. Thus, the current review presents a significant insight with the inclusion of a readily accessible bibliometric analysis to comprehend the present status of HMs research, global research trends, existing knowledge discrepancies, and research challenges. Further, it also provides an in-depth review of HMs ecotoxicity, with a focus on arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb). Thus, as indicated by the bibliometric study, the present review will assist future investigators studying HMs ecotoxicity by providing baseline data concerning a wide range of living organisms and by addressing research gaps.

Heavy Metal Exposure: Molecular Pathways, Clinical Implications, and Protective Strategies

Heavy metals are often found in soil and can contaminate drinking water, posing a serious threat to human health. Molecular pathways and curation therapies for mitigating heavy metal toxicity have been studied for a long time. Recent studies on oxidative stress and aging have shown that the molecular foundation of cellular damage caused by heavy metals, namely, apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and mitochondrial stress, share the same pathways as those involved in cellular senescence and aging. In recent aging studies, many types of heavy metal exposures have been used in both cellular and animal aging models. Chelation therapy is a traditional treatment for heavy metal toxicity. However, recently, various antioxidants have been found to be effective in treating heavy metal-induced damage, shifting the research focus to investigating the interplay between antioxidants and heavy metals. In this review, we introduce the molecular basis of heavy metal-induced cellular damage and its relationship with aging, summarize its clinical implications, and discuss antioxidants and other agents with protective effects against heavy metal damage.

Association between exposure to mixture of heavy metals and hyperlipidemia risk among U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study

Previous studies have suggested that exposure to heavy metals might increase the risk of hyperlipidemia. However, limited research has investigated the association between exposure to mixture of heavy metals and hyperlipidemia risk. To explore the independent and combined effects of heavy metal exposure on hyperlipidemia risk, this study involved 3293 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including 2327 with hyperlipidemia and the remaining without. In the individual metal analysis, the logistic regression model confirmed the positive effects of barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb), and uranium (U) on hyperlipidemia risk, Ba, Cd, Hg and Pb were further validated in restricted cubic splines (RCS) regression model and identified as positive linear relationships. In the metal mixture analysis, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), and quantile-based g computation (qgcomp) models consistently revealed a positive correlation between exposure to metal mixture and hyperlipidemia risk, with Ba, Cd, Hg, Pb, and U having significant positive driving roles in the overall effects. These associations were more prominent in young/middle-aged individuals. Moreover, the BKMR model uncovered some interactions between specific heavy metals. In conclusion, this study offers new evidence supporting the link between combined exposure to multiple heavy metals and hyperlipidemia risk, but considering the limitations of this study, further prospective research is required.

Human exposure to heavy metals and related cancer development: a bibliometric analysis

As notifications on carcinogenicity of heavy metals increase, more and more attention is paid recently to heavy metals exposure. In our study, the human exposure to heavy metals and cancer knowledge epistemology was investigated using bibliometric analysis. The bibliometric data of the research articles were retrieved using following keywords: "heavy metal," "trace element", "cancer", "carcinogen", and "tumor" in the Scopus database. Specifically, 2118 articles published between 1972 and 2023 were found, covering a total of 1473 authors, 252 sources, and 2797 keywords. Retrospective data obtained from 251 documents and 145 journals were further analyzed by performance analysis and techniques of science mapping. The number of studies conducted in this field increased from one article published in 1972 to 18 articles published in 2022 in the study of Michael P Waalkes. The most impactful author regarding the number of published papers was Masoudreza Sohrabi with 7 publications. In the majority of the published papers, the most popular keywords were "cadmium" and "carcinogenicity". However, in recent 4 years, the emphasis has been placed more on epidemiology studies. Our study provides general knowledge about the trend of publication on the role of heavy metals in causing cancer. The leading researchers in the field of the effects of heavy metals on the development of cancer were identified in our studies. Our results might also create a better understanding of new and emerging issues and can be used as a comprehensive road map for future researchers.

Machine learning-aided metallomic profiling in serum and urine of thyroid cancer patients and its environmental implications

The incidence rate of thyroid cancer has been growing worldwide. Thyroid health is closely related with multiple trace metals, and the nutrients are essential in maintaining thyroid function while the contaminants can disturb thyroid morphology and homeostasis. In this study, we conducted metallomic analysis in thyroid cancer patients (n = 40) and control subjects (n = 40) recruited in Shenzhen, China with a high incidence of thyroid cancer. We found significant alterations in serumal and urinary metallomic profiling (including Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Cd, I, Ba, Tl, and Pb) and elemental correlative patterns between thyroid cancer patients and controls. Additionally, we also measured the serum Cu isotopic composition and found a multifaceted disturbance in Cu metabolism in thyroid disease patients. Based on the metallome variations, we built and assessed the thyroid cancer-predictive performance of seven machine learning algorithms. Among them, the Random Forest model performed the best with the accuracy of 1.000, 0.858, and 0.813 on the training, 5-fold cross-validation, and test set, respectively. The high performance of machine learning has demonstrated the great promise of metallomic analysis in the identification of thyroid cancer. Then, the Shapley Additive exPlanations approach was used to further interpret the variable contributions of the model and it showed that serum Pb contributed the most in the identification process. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that combines machine learning and metallome data for cancer identification, and it supports the indication of environmental heavy metal-related thyroid cancer etiology.

Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Sediment Samples from the Mae Chaem River, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Heavy metals are significant environmental pollutants that are recognized as posing a potential health hazard to human beings. We investigated the concentrations of the heavy metals As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface sediments collected from the Mae Chaem River in Chiang Mai, Thailand, during the dry season in 2021. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in sediments were, in decreasing order, Zn > Cr > As > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cd. The mean values of As, Cd, Cr, and Cu were determined to be 32.5 ± 18.3, 0.33 ± 0.07, 45.8 ± 11.9, and 21.9 ± 7.42 mg Kg-1, respectively. These levels are higher than their standard levels in Thailand, namely 10.0, 0.16, 45.5, and 21.5 mg Kg-1, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the primary origins of heavy metal contamination are predominantly attributed to residential settlements and agricultural areas. The hazard quotient (HQ) was used to estimate the non-carcinogenic risk of exposure to heavy-metal-bound surface sediments for both children and adults. The results showed that the HQ values for both groups were less than 1.0 (HQ < 1.0), indicating no risk. Moreover, assessment of the long-term risk for ingestion of toxic metals indicated no risk (<10-6) based on the lifetime cancer risk (LCR). However, the LCR values of As and Cr were 5.3 × 10-6 and 2.5 × 10-6, respectively, demonstrating the most elevated LCR among the hazardous metals in terms of children's exposure. Therefore, it is possible that children living in agricultural areas and participating in activities around the study area may be exposed to elevated concentrations of As and Cr.

The environmental burden on endocrine neoplasia: a review on the documented impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals

INTRODUCTION

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have gained more importance in the past decade, mostly due to their role in the pathogenesis of disease, especially in carcinogenesis. However, there is limited literature on the environmental burden on some of the less common endocrine neoplasia.

AREAS COVERED

This review focuses on both observational and experimental studies linking exposure to EDCs and endocrine neoplasia specifically pituitary, thyroid, adrenal and neuroendocrine tumors. Following PRISMA guidelines, a search of English peer-reviewed literature was performed using Medline and Google Scholar, giving preference to recent publications.

EXPERT OPINION

Exposure to EDC occurs not only in the household but also at work, whether it is in the office, factory, or farm and during transport from one location to another. Many studies have evaluated the effect of single environmental agents; however, humans are rarely exposed to only one EDC. Different EDCs and different levels of exposure may interact together to provide either a synergistic and/or an antagonistic disruption on human health, and hence a complex mechanism to elucidate. The ultimate adverse effect is difficult to predict, as it is not only influenced by the degree of exposure, but also by genetics, lifestyle, comorbidities, and other stressors.

Antioxidant Defense Capacity Is Reduced in Thyroid Stem/Precursor Cells Compared to Differentiated Thyrocytes

There is much evidence linking oxidative stress to thyroid cancer, and stem cells are thought to play a key role in the tumor-initiating mechanism. Their vulnerability to oxidative stress is unexplored. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the antioxidant capacity of stem/precursor thyroid cells and mature thyrocytes. Human stem/precursor cells and mature thyrocytes were exposed to increasing concentrations of menadione, an oxidative-stress-producing agent, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell viability were measured. The expression of antioxidant and detoxification genes was measured via qPCR as well as the total antioxidant capacity and the content of glutathione. Menadione elevated ROS generation in stem/precursor thyroid cells more than in mature thyrocytes. The ROS increase was inversely correlated (p = 0.005) with cell viability, an effect that was partially prevented by the antioxidant curcumin. Most thyroid antioxidant defense genes, notably those encoding for the glutathione-generating system and phase I detoxification enzymes, were significantly less expressed in stem/precursor thyroid cells. As a result, the glutathione level and the total antioxidant capacity in stem/precursor thyroid cells were significantly decreased. This reduced antioxidant defense may have clinical implications, making stem/precursor thyroid cells critical targets for environmental conditions that are not detrimental for differentiated thyrocytes.

Metabolomics: a promising tool for deciphering metabolic impairment in heavy metal toxicities

Heavy metals are the metal compounds found in earth's crust and have densities higher than that of water. Common heavy metals include the lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, copper, manganese, chromium, nickel, and aluminum. Their environmental levels are consistently rising above the permissible limits and they are highly toxic as enter living systems via inhalation, ingestion, or inoculation. Prolonged exposures cause the disruption of metabolism, altered gene and/or protein expression, and dysregulated metabolite profiles. Metabolomics is a state of the art analytical tool widely used for pathomolecular inv22estigations, biomarkers, drug discovery and validation of biotransformation pathways in the fields of biomedicine, nutrition, agriculture, and industry. Here, we overview studies using metabolomics as a dynamic tool to decipher the mechanisms of metabolic impairment related to heavy metal toxicities caused by the environmental or experimental exposures in different living systems. These investigations highlight the key role of metabolomics in identifying perturbations in pathways of lipid and amino acid metabolism, with a critical role of oxidative stress in metabolic impairment. We present the conclusions with future perspectives on metabolomics applications in meeting emerging needs.

Bifunctional collagen fiber/carbon quantum dot fluorescent adsorbent for efficient adsorption and detection of Pb2

In this work, fluorescent adsorbents that can efficiently detect and remove Pb²⁺ were developed by integrating the designed amino-modified carbon quantum dots and carboxyl-modified collagen. The adsorption properties of the fluorescent adsorbent were further optimized and analyzed using a series of response surface experiments. The maximum adsorption concentration for Pb²⁺ was 183 mg.g^-1. The adsorption isotherms fit well with the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetics fit with the pseudo-second-order model. The emission intensity of the fluorescent adsorbent gradually decreased with the increase of the concentration of Pb²⁺, and had a good linear correlation. In addition, the mechanism of detection and removal of Pb²⁺ by fluorescent adsorbents was further demonstrated. The novel three-dimensional structured fluorescent aerogel can be used as a promising adsorbent with good adsorption concentration and sensing ability for Pb²⁺, which shows great prospects in wastewater.

High Incidence of Thyroid Cancer in Southern Tuscany (Grosseto Province, Italy): Potential Role of Environmental Heavy Metal Pollution

The incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) in Italy is one of the highest in Europe, and the reason for this is unclear. The intra-country heterogeneity of TC incidence suggests the possibility of an overdiagnosis phenomenon, although environmental factors cannot be excluded. The aim of our study is to evaluate the TC incidence trend in southern Tuscany, Italy, an area with particular geological characteristics, where the pollution and subsequent deterioration of various environmental matrices with potentially toxic elements (heavy metals) introduced from either geological or anthropogenic (human activities) sources are documented. The Tuscany cancer registry (ISPRO) provided us with the number of cases and EU standardized incidence rates (IR) of TC patients for all three provinces of southeast Tuscany (Siena, Grosseto, Arezzo) during the period of 2013-2016. In addition, we examined the histological records of 226 TC patients. We observed that the TC incidence rates for both sexes observed in Grosseto Province were significantly higher than those observed in the other two provinces. The increase was mostly due to the papillary (PTC) histotype (92% of cases), which presented aggressive variants in 37% of PTCs and tumor diameters more than 1 cm in 71.3% of cases. We demonstrated a high incidence of TC in Grosseto province, especially among male patients, that could be influenced by the presence of environmental heavy metal pollution.

In Situ Deposition of Gold Nanoparticles and L-Cysteine on Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode for Rapid Electrochemical Determination of As(III) in Water and Tea

In this study, a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) based on in situ deposition modification was developed for the sensitive, rapid, easy and convenient determination of As(III) in water and tea by linear sweep anodic stripping voltammetry (LSASV). The screen-printed carbon electrodes were placed in a solution consisting of As(III) solution, chlorauric acid and L-cysteine. Under certain electrical potential, the chloroauric acid was reduced to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the SPCE. L-cysteine was self-assembled onto AuNPs and promoted the enrichment of As(III), thus enhancing the determination specificity and sensitivity of As(III). The method achieved a limit of determination (LOD) of 0.91 ppb (µg L^-1), a linear range of 1~200 µg L^-1, an inter-assay coefficient of variation of 5.3% and good specificity. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of As(III) in tap water and tea samples, with a recovery rate of 93.8%~105.4%, and further validated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The developed method is rapid, convenient and accurate, holding great promise in the on-site determination of As(III) in tap water and tea leaves, and it can be extended to the detection of other samples.

Reprogramming of glycolysis by chemical carcinogens during tumor development

Indiscriminate usage and mismanagement of chemicals in the agricultural and industrial sectors have contaminated different environmental compartments. Exposure to these persistent and hazardous pollutants like heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides can result in various health adversities, including cancer. Chemical carcinogens follow a similar pattern of carcinogenesis, like oxidative stress, chromosomal aberration, DNA double-strand break, mismatch repair, and misregulation of oncogenic and/or tumor suppressors. Out of several cancer-associated endpoints, cellular metabolic homeostasis is the commonest to be deregulated upon chemical exposure. Chemical carcinogens hamper glycolytic reprogramming to fuel the malignant transformation of the cells and/or promote cancer progression. Several regulators like Akt, ERK, Ras, c-Myc, HIF-1α, and p53 regulate glycolysis in chemical-induced carcinogenesis. However, the deregulation of the anabolic biochemistry of glucose during chemical-induced carcinogenesis remains to be uncovered. This review comprehensively covers the environmental chemical-induced glycolytic shift during carcinogenesis and its mechanism. The focus is also to fill the major gaps associated with understanding the fairy tale between environmental carcinogens and metabolic reprogramming. Although evidence from studies regarding glycolytic reprogramming in chemical carcinogenesis provides valuable insights into cancer therapy, exposure to a mixture of toxicants and their mechanism of inducing carcinogenesis still needs to be studied.

The oral bioaccessibility and gingival cytotoxicity of metal(loid)s in wild vegetables from mining areas: Implication for human oral health

Background

Heavy metal(loid)s are frequently detected in vegetables posing potential human health risks, especially for those grown around mining areas. However, the oral bioaccessibility and gingival cytotoxicity of heavy metals in wild vegetables remain unclear.

Methods

In this study, we assessed the total and bioaccessible Cr, As, Cd, Pb, and Ni in four wild vegetables from mining areas in Southwest China. In addition, the cytotoxicity and underlying mechanisms of vegetable saliva extracts on human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC) were studied.

Results

The Plantago asiatica L. (PAL) showed the highest bioaccessible Cr, As, Cd, and Pb, while the greatest bioaccessible Ni was in Taraxacum mongolicum (TMM). The Pteridium aquilinum (PAM), Chenopodium album L. (CAL), and TMM extracts decreased cell viability, induced apoptosis, caused DNA damage, and disrupted associated gene expressions. However, PAL extracts which have the highest bioaccessible heavy metals did not present adverse effects on HGEC, which may be due to its inhibition of apoptosis by upregulating p53 and Bcl-2.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that polluted vegetable intake caused toxic effects on human gingiva. The heavy metals in vegetables were not positively related to human health risks. Collectively, both bioaccessibility and toxic data should be considered for accurate risk assessment.

Multiparametric Sonographic Imaging of Thyroid Lesions: Chances of B-Mode, Elastography and CEUS in Relation to Preoperative Histopathology

Simple Summary

As the incidence of thyroid lesions in Europe is rising, more and more people affected by thyroid pathologies seek treatment in a clinic. Every suspicious thyroid nodule needs to be confirmed as benign or malignant in order to be treated correctly. Unnecessary invasive diagnostics and thyroid surgery should be avoided. The aim of this retrospective study was to improve the distinction between benign and malignant nodules by using new high-performance multiparametric ultrasound examination techniques. By analyzing 122 thyroid nodules we created a score-based system combining B-mode, shear-wave elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound malignancy criteria. This system allows for a quite accurate detection of thyroid carcinomas with a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 75.49%. Shear-wave elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound can detect unique malignancy features, which cannot be found in B-mode. Therefore, these criteria would present a relevant addition to the B-mode TI-RADS classification.

Abstract

Background: The aim was to improve preoperative diagnostics of solid non-cystic thyroid lesions by using new high-performance multiparametric ultrasound examination techniques. Methods: Multiparametric ultrasound consists of B-mode, shear-wave elastography and contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) including Time-Intensity-Curve (TIC) analysis. A bolus of 1–2.4 mL Sulfur Hexafluorid microbubbles was injected for CEUS. Postoperative histopathology was the diagnostic gold standard. Results: 116 patients were included in this study. 102 benign thyroid nodules were diagnosed as well as 20 carcinomas. Suspicious B-mode findings like microcalcifications, a blurry edge and no homogeneous sonomorphological structure were detected in 60, 75 and 80% of all carcinomas but only in 13.7, 36.3 and 46.1% of all benign lesions. The average shear-wave elastography measurements of malignant lesions (4.6 m/s or 69.8 kPa centrally and 4.2 m/s or 60.1 kPa marginally) exceed the values of benign nodules. Suspicious CEUS findings like a not-homogeneous wash-in and a wash-out were detected almost twice as often in carcinomas. Conclusion: Multiparametric ultrasound offers new possibilities for the preoperative distinction between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. A score based system of B-mode, shear-wave and CEUS malignancy criteria shows promising results in the detection of thyroid carcinomas. It reaches a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 75.49%.

Identification of the hormetic dose-response and regulatory network of multiple metals co-exposure-related hypertension via integration of metallomics and adverse outcome pathways

Environmental stressors, including heavy metals, can be associated with hypertension development. However, little information regarding the dose-response relationship and toxicity mechanisms of metal mixtures with hypertension development is currently available. Therefore, we recruited 940 participants from six factories in northeastern China and measured the urinary concentrations of 19 metals. Then, we used Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to explore associations between metals co-exposure and hypertension. The BKMR model indicated a hermetic dose-response relationship between eight urinary metals (Co, Cr, Ni, Cd, As, Fe, Zn, and Pb) and hypertension risk. Moreover, heterogeneous and non-linear association patterns were detected across different metals/metalloids concentrations. Next, for the first time, we analyzed data of chemicals containing specific metal elements in the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) from a disease perspective and provided insights from various biological levels to explain heavy metal co-exposure-related hypertension. On the molecular scale, 43 chemical components and 112 potential target genes were detected for metal exposure-related hypertension. Further, the network topology analysis indicated that target genes such as insulin (INS, degree = 78), albumin (ALB, degree = 74), renin (REN, degree = 71), interleukin-6 (IL6, degree = 70), endothelin 1 (EDN1, degree = 70), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3, degree = 69) have a strong correlation with heavy metals co-exposure. Finally, we used integrative analyses in the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) wiki to analyze the co-exposure of heavy metals and hypertension and support an integrated metallomics approach. We selected the AOP 149 as the framework and found that the molecular initiating events (MIEs) of hypertension stems from the oxidation of AA residues on critical peptides of the NO pathway. The NOS3 was particularly promising since its subunit has three metal ion cross-linking domains with Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Ga³⁺, which might serve as a binding site for heavy metal ions.

Three-dimensional gold nanowires with high specific surface area for simultaneous detection of heavy metal ions

Traditional detection methods to detect heavy metal ions are time-consuming, complicated, and expensive. Here, we developed a simple electroless plating method to prepare three-dimensional gold nanowire (Au NW) films with high specific surface area. In an aqueous plating bath, tetrachloroauric acid, 4-dimethylaminopyridine and formaldehyde are used as precursor, ligand, and reducing agent, respectively. An electrochemical sensor based on a Au NWs/SPE could be applied for simultaneous detection of lead (Pb(II)), arsenic (As(III)), and mercury (Hg(II)) ions. The detection limits of Pb(II), As(III), and Hg(II) are 2.6, 1.5, and 4.2 μg L^-1, all lower than the permissible limits of the WHO for drinking water (the permissible level of Pb(II) and As(III) is 10.0 μg L^-1, and the permissible level of Hg(II) is 6.0 μg L^-1), respectively. This work presents a simple and novel method to prepare gold nanowires for quick detection of trace heavy metal ions.

Ultrasonic Characteristics Improve Prediction of Central Lymph Node Metastasis in cN0 Unifocal Papillary Thyroid Cancer

BACKGROUND

Prediction of central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) is vital for clinical decision-making processes in clinically N0 (cN0) unifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), but the sensitivity of preoperative detection of CLNM is limited. The aim of the present study was to determine whether there are ultrasonic (US) characteristics associated with CLNM.

METHODS

In total, 1657 PTC patients (514 men and 1143 women) were enrolled in the present study between January 2018 and May 2021. The patients met the following inclusion criteria based on preoperative detection: suspected nodule confirmed as PTC by biopsy; the nodule was unifocal and less than 4 cm in diameter; no prior neck radiation exposure; no extrathyroidal extension; and no CLNM or distant metastases on imaging. All the enrolled patients underwent total thyroidectomy with prophylactic central lymph node dissection (CLND). A postoperative pathological diagnosis was made.

RESULTS

CLNM was found in 58.4% of male patients and 36.9% of female patients. In univariate analysis, size, adjacent anterior capsule, distance to the lower pole and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) were considered risk factors for the male and female groups (p < 0.05). In multivariate analyses, size, adjacent anterior capsule, distance to the lower pole and CDFI were independent risk factors for male patients. For females, the independent risk factors included size, adjacent anterior capsule, distance to the lower pole and CDFI.

CONCLUSION

In the present cohort, US imaging characteristics, including size, adjacent anterior capsule, distance to the lower pole and CDFI, were identified to be potentially beneficial in preoperative clinical decision-making processes for cN0 unifocal PTC patients.