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Integrative analyses of circulating microRNA expression profile in hexavalent chromium exposed workers - A cross-sectional study within the SafeChrom project

Jiang, Zheshun LU orcid ; Pan, Mengyu LU orcid ; Liu, Yishan LU orcid ; Lundh, Thomas LU ; Pineda, Daniela LU orcid ; Schenk, Linda ; Saber, Anne T. ; Vogel, Ulla ; Ljunggren, Stefan and Ricklund, Niklas , et al. (2025) In Journal of Hazardous Materials 488. p.1-12
Abstract
Background Exposure to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) can occur during occupational activities and leading lung cancer. MicroRNA (miRNA) plays an important part in carcinogenesis. Whether Cr(VI) exposure causes cancer-related miRNA changes is yet uncharacterized. Methods This study included 89 Cr(VI) exposed workers and 47 controls. MiRNAs were extracted from plasma followed by library preparations, miRNA sequencing, and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) analysis. To understand the underlying biological functions, we used bioinformatics approaches, and qPCR was performed to validate the expression of potential target genes. Results A total of 2100 miRNAs were detected. In the exposed workers, 59 DEMs were identified: 21 up-regulated and... (More)
Background Exposure to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) can occur during occupational activities and leading lung cancer. MicroRNA (miRNA) plays an important part in carcinogenesis. Whether Cr(VI) exposure causes cancer-related miRNA changes is yet uncharacterized. Methods This study included 89 Cr(VI) exposed workers and 47 controls. MiRNAs were extracted from plasma followed by library preparations, miRNA sequencing, and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) analysis. To understand the underlying biological functions, we used bioinformatics approaches, and qPCR was performed to validate the expression of potential target genes. Results A total of 2100 miRNAs were detected. In the exposed workers, 59 DEMs were identified: 21 up-regulated and 38 down-regulated. Target genes for both up- and down-regulated DEMs were significantly enriched in: miRNAs in cancer, small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Protein-protein interactions showed a high number of interactions, in which CCNE2, CDK4 and E2F1 were predicted as hub genes, and the messenger RNA expression of those genes was significantly higher in the exposed workers compared with controls. Conclusions Our study suggests that low-to-moderate Cr(VI) exposure results in differential expression of lung-cancer-related miRNAs and associated target genes. Further studies are needed to validate our findings and clarify whether these changes predict cancer risk. (Less)
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author collaboration
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Hexavalent chromium, MicroRNA, Sequencing, Expression profiles, Bioinformatics
in
Journal of Hazardous Materials
volume
488
article number
137367
pages
1 - 12
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85216225875
  • scopus:85216225875
  • pmid:40098212
ISSN
0304-3894
DOI
10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137367
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
857d5bc6-66af-44ff-8832-d7caa056e88b
alternative location
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389425002791
date added to LUP
2025-01-28 10:15:24
date last changed
2025-04-30 03:00:09
@article{857d5bc6-66af-44ff-8832-d7caa056e88b,
  abstract     = {{Background Exposure to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) can occur during occupational activities and leading lung cancer. MicroRNA (miRNA) plays an important part in carcinogenesis. Whether Cr(VI) exposure causes cancer-related miRNA changes is yet uncharacterized. Methods This study included 89 Cr(VI) exposed workers and 47 controls. MiRNAs were extracted from plasma followed by library preparations, miRNA sequencing, and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) analysis. To understand the underlying biological functions, we used bioinformatics approaches, and qPCR was performed to validate the expression of potential target genes. Results A total of 2100 miRNAs were detected. In the exposed workers, 59 DEMs were identified: 21 up-regulated and 38 down-regulated. Target genes for both up- and down-regulated DEMs were significantly enriched in: miRNAs in cancer, small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Protein-protein interactions showed a high number of interactions, in which CCNE2, CDK4 and E2F1 were predicted as hub genes, and the messenger RNA expression of those genes was significantly higher in the exposed workers compared with controls. Conclusions Our study suggests that low-to-moderate Cr(VI) exposure results in differential expression of lung-cancer-related miRNAs and associated target genes. Further studies are needed to validate our findings and clarify whether these changes predict cancer risk.}},
  author       = {{Jiang, Zheshun and Pan, Mengyu and Liu, Yishan and Lundh, Thomas and Pineda, Daniela and Schenk, Linda and Saber, Anne T. and Vogel, Ulla and Ljunggren, Stefan and Ricklund, Niklas and Engfeldt, Malin and Krais, Annette M. and Broberg, Karin}},
  issn         = {{0304-3894}},
  keywords     = {{Hexavalent chromium; MicroRNA; Sequencing; Expression profiles; Bioinformatics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1--12}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Hazardous Materials}},
  title        = {{Integrative analyses of circulating microRNA expression profile in hexavalent chromium exposed workers - A cross-sectional study within the SafeChrom project}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137367}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137367}},
  volume       = {{488}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}