Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Biomarkers for Populations with Occupational Exposure to Nanomaterials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Exposure to nanomaterials (NMs) is suggested to have the potential to cause harmful health effects. Activations of oxidative stress and inflammation are assumed as main contributors to NM-induced toxicity. Thus, oxidative stress- and inflammation-related indicators may serve as biomarkers for occupational risk assessment. However, the correlation between NM exposure and these biomarkers remains controversial. This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis to systematically investigate the alterations of various biomarkers after NM exposure. Twenty-eight studies were found eligible by searching PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases. The pooled results showed NM exposure was significantly associated with increases in the levels of malonaldehyde (MDA) [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 2.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.50–2.87], 4-hydroxy-2-nonhenal (HNE) (SMD = 2.05; 95% CI, 1.13–2.96), aldehydes C6-12 (SMD = 3.45; 95% CI, 2.80–4.10), 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OHG) (SMD = 2.98; 95% CI, 2.22–3.74), 5-hydroxymethyl uracil (5-OHMeU) (SMD = 1.90; 95% CI, 1.23–2.58), o-tyrosine (o-Tyr) (SMD = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.22–2.41), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NOTyr) (SMD = 2.63; 95% CI, 1.74–3.52), interleukin (IL)-1β (SMD = 1.76; 95% CI, 0.87–2.66), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (SMD = 1.52; 95% CI, 1.03–2.01), myeloperoxidase (MPO) (SMD = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.16–0.34) and fibrinogen (SMD = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02–0.21), and decreases in the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (SMD = −0.31; 95% CI, −0.52–−0.11) and IL-6 soluble receptor (IL-6sR) (SMD = −0.18; 95% CI, −0.28–−0.09). Subgroup analysis indicated oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA, HNE, aldehydes C6-12, 8-OHG, 5-OHMeU, o-Tyr, 3-NOTyr and GPx) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and blood samples were strongly changed by NM exposure; inflammatory biomarkers (IL-1β, TNF-α, MPO, fibrinogen and IL-6sR) were all significant in EBC, blood, sputum and nasal lavage samples. In conclusion, our findings suggest that these oxidative stress and inflammatory indicators may be promising biomarkers for the biological monitoring of occupationally NM-exposed workers.

The utilization of nanotechnology in the female reproductive system and related disorders

“…Researchers are currently exploring various strategies to enhance the delivery efficiency of nanomaterials. For example, modifying the surface of nanomaterials can improve their targeting specificity, enabling accurate recognition and binding to disease biomarkers or cell receptors [ [164] , [165] , [166] ]. Moreover, intelligent targeted delivery of nanomaterials can be achieved by utilizing biological molecules (such as antibodies and peptides) or stimuli-responsive mechanisms [ 167 , 168 ].…”

Occupational Exposure to Metal-Based Nanomaterials: A Possible Relationship between Chemical Composition and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers

“…While the number of NM types and applications continues to increase, the knowledge on the health effects of nanoparticles exposure is still limited, even if the number of efforts aimed at determining the health risks associated with NM exposure continues to grow. As these nanoparticles are intentionally engineered to interact with cells, it is fundamental to ensure that these enhancements are not causing any adverse effects, undergoing biodegradation, or causing damage in the cellular environment [ 9 ]. For example, biodegraded nanoparticles may accumulate within cells and lead to intracellular changes, such as disruption of organelle integrity or gene alterations [ 10 ].…”