The role of heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the oncogenesis of head and neck tumors and thyroid diseases: a pilot study

Abstract

Previous literature has highlighted the mechanisms of molecular toxicity induced by substances such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead, barium and PCBs. The research was carried out on 20 volunteers, all the patients gave their consent to the research: the aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of metals and PCBs in these different matrices (blood and hair), correlating the biochemical data to pathological conditions present, and also to the area in which patients resided. Various quantitative determinations were carried out on samples of blood and hair for 14 heavy metals and on blood samples for 12 PCBs. For the 11 patients the results indicated that blood levels for half of the 14 displayed heavy metals measured considerably higher compared to the reference values, whilst the levels measured in hair evidenced some positive values significantly higher than the maximum reference. Of the 12 PCBs assayed in blood some showed higher positive values compared to the maximum tabular reference (although there is no clear reference quantified in the WHO-2005 report). In the 9 healthy patients heavy metals in the blood were within the expected target range, with those showing positive results (≤ 3 out of 14 heavy metals for each patient) having values only slightly higher than the reference maximum. The levels of 14 heavy metals measured in hair were below thresholds, and levels for the 12 PCBs measured in blood showed negativity or positivity with values close to the minimum benchmarks. The analyses carried out on biological matrices have uncovered important and significant differences between healthy and unhealthy subjects, both qualitative and quantitative differences with respect to heavy metals and PCBs. All patients with head and neck cancer enlisted for the study had heavy metal and PCB blood levels at least twice the maximum reference level. The levels of heavy metals in hair were at least double the maximum reference. In contrast, all healthy volunteers enrolled showed no significant levels for either metals or PCBs.

Blood screening for heavy metals and organic pollutants in cancer patients exposed to toxic waste in southern Italy: A pilot study

“…However, for a more comprehensive evaluation, multiple biological matrices should be analyzed. In particular, hair and nail analyses can provide further information, especially on long‐term exposures, although, for these samples, the reference values are less standardized (Petrosino et al, ).…”

“…For the determination of the blood concentration of POPs, partition with acetonitrile, sulfur elimination, purification by silica gel chromatography, and GC‐MS were performed as previously described (Petrosino et al, ).…”

“…Indeed, toxic agent accumulation has been suggested to associate with a significant increase in cancer development and mortality in these areas (Altavista et al, 2004;Comba et al, 2006Comba et al, , 2014Crispo et al, 2013;Di Lorenzo, Federico, De Placido, & Buonerba, 2015;Fazzo et al, 2011;Martuzzi et al, 2009;Petrosino et al, 2018;Zona et al, 2019).…”

“…For instance, an important biomonitoring study funded by the Italian National Institute of Health, the “SEBIOREC Project,” evaluated the levels of environmental contaminants in blood and human milk in more than 850 healthy donors from Campania areas in the years 2008 and 2009 and suggested the possible need of interventions aimed to improve health conditions in some municipalities (De Felip et al, ). Indeed, toxic agent accumulation has been suggested to associate with a significant increase in cancer development and mortality in these areas (Altavista et al, ; Comba et al, ; Crispo et al, ; Di Lorenzo, Federico, De Placido, & Buonerba, ; Fazzo et al, ; Martuzzi et al, ; Petrosino et al, ; Zona et al, ).…”

Elemental characterization of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma and its relationship with smoking, prognosis and survival

“…A similar approach was performed in patients with thyroid cancer 24,25 and breast cancer [26][27][28] . Other studies in head and neck cancer patients have analyzed the levels of some trace elements in the blood [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] , hair or nails 15,17,20,21 and in saliva 22,23 . It is worth mentioning that we found few studies that analyzed trace elements in the tumor tissue, these being in thyroid or breast cancer.…”