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Occupational exposure to particles and mitochondrial DNA : Relevance for blood pressure

Xu, Yiyi LU ; Li, Huiqi LU ; Hedmer, Maria LU orcid ; Hossain, Mohammad Bakhtiar ; Tinnerberg, Håkan LU ; Broberg, Karin LU orcid and Albin, Maria LU (2017) In Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 16(1).
Abstract

Background: Particle exposure is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a primary target for oxidative stress generated by particle exposure. We aimed to elucidate the effects of occupational exposure to particle-containing welding fumes on different biomarkers of mtDNA function, and in turn, explore if they modify the association between particle exposure and cardiovascular response, measured as blood pressure. Methods: We investigated 101 welders and 127 controls (all non-smoking males) from southern Sweden. Personal sampling of the welders’ exposure to respirable dust was performed during work hours (average sampling time: 6.8 h; range: 2.4-8.6 h) and blood pressure was measured once for each subject.... (More)

Background: Particle exposure is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a primary target for oxidative stress generated by particle exposure. We aimed to elucidate the effects of occupational exposure to particle-containing welding fumes on different biomarkers of mtDNA function, and in turn, explore if they modify the association between particle exposure and cardiovascular response, measured as blood pressure. Methods: We investigated 101 welders and 127 controls (all non-smoking males) from southern Sweden. Personal sampling of the welders’ exposure to respirable dust was performed during work hours (average sampling time: 6.8 h; range: 2.4-8.6 h) and blood pressure was measured once for each subject. We measured relative mtDNA copy number by quantitative PCR and methylation of the mitochondrial regulatory region D-loop and the tRNA encoding gene MT-TF by bisulfite-pyrosequencing. We calculated the relative number of unmethylated D-loop and MT-TF as markers of mtDNA function to explore the modification of mtDNA on the association between particle exposure and blood pressure. General linear models were used for statistical analyses. Results: Welders had higher mtDNA copy number (β = 0.11, p = 0.003) and lower DNA methylation of D-loop (β = −1.4, p = 0.002) and MT-TF (β = −1.5, p = 0.004) than controls. Higher mtDNA copy number was weakly associated with higher personal respirable dust exposure among welders with exposure level above 0.7 mg/m3 (β = 0.037, p = 0.054). MtDNA function modified the effect of welding fumes on blood pressure: welders with low mtDNA function had higher blood pressure than controls, while no such difference was found in the group with high mtDNA function. Conclusion: Increased mtDNA copy number and decreased D-loop and MT-TF methylation were associated with particle-containing welding fumes exposure, indicating exposure-related oxidative stress. The modification of mtDNA function on exposure-associated increase in blood pressure may represent a mitochondria-environment interaction.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Blood pressure, Copy number, DNA methylation, Mitochondria, Particle
in
Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source
volume
16
issue
1
article number
22
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85014839705
  • pmid:28274239
  • wos:000395975100001
ISSN
1476-069X
DOI
10.1186/s12940-017-0234-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d05ba3a6-7661-404c-8a0e-d56ec24334ff
date added to LUP
2017-04-10 13:37:55
date last changed
2024-05-12 11:40:04
@article{d05ba3a6-7661-404c-8a0e-d56ec24334ff,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Particle exposure is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a primary target for oxidative stress generated by particle exposure. We aimed to elucidate the effects of occupational exposure to particle-containing welding fumes on different biomarkers of mtDNA function, and in turn, explore if they modify the association between particle exposure and cardiovascular response, measured as blood pressure. Methods: We investigated 101 welders and 127 controls (all non-smoking males) from southern Sweden. Personal sampling of the welders’ exposure to respirable dust was performed during work hours (average sampling time: 6.8 h; range: 2.4-8.6 h) and blood pressure was measured once for each subject. We measured relative mtDNA copy number by quantitative PCR and methylation of the mitochondrial regulatory region D-loop and the tRNA encoding gene MT-TF by bisulfite-pyrosequencing. We calculated the relative number of unmethylated D-loop and MT-TF as markers of mtDNA function to explore the modification of mtDNA on the association between particle exposure and blood pressure. General linear models were used for statistical analyses. Results: Welders had higher mtDNA copy number (β = 0.11, p = 0.003) and lower DNA methylation of D-loop (β = −1.4, p = 0.002) and MT-TF (β = −1.5, p = 0.004) than controls. Higher mtDNA copy number was weakly associated with higher personal respirable dust exposure among welders with exposure level above 0.7 mg/m3 (β = 0.037, p = 0.054). MtDNA function modified the effect of welding fumes on blood pressure: welders with low mtDNA function had higher blood pressure than controls, while no such difference was found in the group with high mtDNA function. Conclusion: Increased mtDNA copy number and decreased D-loop and MT-TF methylation were associated with particle-containing welding fumes exposure, indicating exposure-related oxidative stress. The modification of mtDNA function on exposure-associated increase in blood pressure may represent a mitochondria-environment interaction.</p>}},
  author       = {{Xu, Yiyi and Li, Huiqi and Hedmer, Maria and Hossain, Mohammad Bakhtiar and Tinnerberg, Håkan and Broberg, Karin and Albin, Maria}},
  issn         = {{1476-069X}},
  keywords     = {{Blood pressure; Copy number; DNA methylation; Mitochondria; Particle}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source}},
  title        = {{Occupational exposure to particles and mitochondrial DNA : Relevance for blood pressure}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12940-017-0234-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12940-017-0234-4}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}