ABSTRACT
Objective@#To explore the blood lead level and its relationship with behavior in school-age children from rural areas of Chongqing.@*Methods@#A total of 697 students from grades 3 to 6 in the fall semester of 2014 from 14 rural townships in one district of Chongqing was selected by using the random cluster sampling method. Blood were sampled to analyze the lead level. Neurobehavioral tests were performed to determine their personal cognitive and memory ability. Questionnaires and physical examinations were administered to obtain the information of confounding factors. All students were divided into Q1-Q4 groups according to the quartile of their blood lead level. The relationship between the blood lead level and behavior was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression model and restricted spline regression model.@*Results@#The mean age of 697 students was (10.07±1.36) years old, and the median (interquartile range) of their blood lead level was 44.31 (35.42) μg/L. Multivariate logistic regression model showed that after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index and maternal culture level, compared with Q1 group, the OR (95%CI) values of high digit symbol substitution test (DSST) scores and high overall memory quotient (MQ) scores in Q3 group were 1.65 (1.01-2.70) and 2.10 (1.21-3.62), and the OR (95%CI) value of high long term memory (LTM) scores in Q4 group was 0.53 (0.31-0.92). The results of the restricted spline regression model showed that the dose-response curves between the blood lead level and MQ/LTM test scores were both parabolic (P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#The blood lead level of school-age children from rural areas of Chongqing is the same as that from other areas of China, but slightly higher than that from other areas of Chongqing. Children with higher blood lead level have poor long-term memory ability.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the association between aflatoxin exposure and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) development.@*Methods@#From December 2013 to May 2016, we selected 214 patients newly diagnosed with PHC as cases, and 214 patients as controls from three hospitals in Chongqing. Cases were confirmed with PHC diagnosis standard. And cases caused by clear reasons such as drug-induced liver injury, alcoholic liver damage, fatty liver and gallstones etiology, were excluded. Controls were included with no cancer and no digestive system disease, and recruited simultaneously with cases. Cases and controls were frequency-matched (1∶1) by same gender and age (±3 years). Peripheral blood and random urine samples were collected and analyzed for serum HBsAg status by biochemistry analyzer, and serum AFB1-ALB adduct and urinary AFB1-N7-GUA adduct by ELISA. Basic information, living habits and history of disease for patients were obtained by questionnaires. We used wilcoxon rank sum test to compare the median of serum AFB1-ALB adduct and urinary AFB1-N7-GUA adduct in cases and controls. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess risk factors for PHC, and synergism index (S) of aflatoxin with other factors was estimated by the method of Andersson.@*Results@#There was no significant difference in age between PHC cases (50.74±9.67) years and controls (51.15±9.90) years. Logistic regression showed that the odds ratio of HBV infection for PHC development was 46.3 (95% CI: 23.3-88.0). There was a significant difference in median concentrations of serum AFB1-ALB adduct (cases vs controls: 146.23 vs 74.42 ng/g albumin, P<0.001), but no difference in median concentrations of urinary AFB1-N7-GUA adduct was observed (cases vs controls: 0.17 vs 0.14 ng/mg creatinine, P<0.210). The odd ratios for PHC risk after adjustment were 1.9 (95%CI: 1.1-3.4) for AFB1-ALB adduct, and 2.1 (95%CI: 1.0-4.2) for AFB1-N7-GUA adduct. Moreover, we observed a positive interaction of aflatoxin exposure with HBV, alcohol drinking, and diabetes. The S was 4.7 (95%CI: 2.8-7.9), 3.5 (95%CI: 1.0-12.0), and 12.4 (95%CI: 1.8-84.2), respectively for serum AFB1-ALB adduct with each of the three factors mentioned, and was 1.9 (95%CI:1.1-3.1), 2.0 (95%CI: 1.1-3.6), and 2.0 (95%CI: 1.1-3.6), respectively for urinary AFB1-N7-GUA adduct with each of the three factors mentioned.@*Conclusion@#HBV was still the main risk factor, and AFB1 exposure was also an independent risk factor for PHC in Chongqing. There was a positive interaction of aflatoxin with HBV, alcohol drinking, and diabetes.