Association of Arsenic Methylation Capacity with Developmental Delays and Health Status in Children: A Prospective Case–Control Trial

Abstract

This case–control study identified the association between the arsenic methylation capacity and developmental delays and explored the association of this capacity with the health status of children. We recruited 120 children with developmental delays and 120 age- and sex-matched children without developmental delays. The health status of the children was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI). The arsenic methylation capacity was determined by the percentages of inorganic arsenic (InAs%), monomethylarsonic acid (MMAV%), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAV%) through liquid chromatography and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Developmental delays were significantly positively associated with the total urinary arsenic concentration, InAs%, and MMAV%, and was significantly negatively associated with DMAV% in a dose-dependent manner. MMAV% was negatively associated with the health-related quality of life (HRQOL; −1.19 to −1.46, P < 0.01) and functional performance (−0.82 to −1.14, P < 0.01), whereas DMAV% was positively associated with HRQOL (0.33–0.35, P < 0.05) and functional performance (0.21–0.39, P < 0.01–0.05) in all children and in those with developmental delays. The arsenic methylation capacity is dose-dependently associated with developmental delays and with the health status of children, particularly those with developmental delays.

Polymorphism of nucleotide binding domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) increases susceptibility of total urinary arsenic to renal cell carcinoma

“…To prevent age and gender from confounding the risk of RCC, we matched the age and gender of the control group with those of the case group. Pathologically-confirmed RCC patients (350) and 700 age-and gender-matched controls (i.e., without RCC or any other malignancy) were recruited from our past study 20 . Among the RCC patients, about 70% had grade II or III tumors, including 262 clear-cell, 25 papillary, 21 chromophobe, one collecting duct, one sarcomatoid, and five "other" cases.…”

Low level arsenic exposure, B-vitamins, and achievement among Uruguayan school children

“…The role of methylation capacity in arsenic neurotoxicity among children is not clear. Poor methylation capacity among Taiwanese children was a risk factor for developmental delays (Hsieh et al, 2014;Hsueh et al, 2016). The only two studies on arsenic and children's neurodevelopment that included stratification by %MMA did not show evidence of effect modification (Desai et al, 2018;Hamadani et al, 2011).…”

Association between arsenic metabolism gene polymorphisms and arsenic-induced skin lesions in individuals exposed to high-dose inorganic arsenic in northwest China

“…discovered that the risk of coronary heart disease and hyperlipidemia was higher for subjects with rs10748835 polymorphism who carry the AG genotype than for subjects who carry the AA genotype 55 . Several in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed that AS3MT is essential for oxidative methylation of trivalent arsenic during the arsenic biotransformation process, which highlights the importance of the AS3MT enzyme in converting inorganic arsenic metabolites to their corresponding methylated products 20 , 56 . Genetic variations in AS3MT can lead to individual differences in inorganic arsenic metabolites, which is one of the main reasons for the different susceptibilities to endemic arsenic poisoning within a population exposed to high arsenic levels 57 .…”