ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate skin manifestations and comorbidities of chronic arsenicosis due to conta?minated drinking water, and to explore their possible risk factors. Methods Data about demographic characteristics, skin manifestations and comorbidities were collected from 95 patients with chronic arsenicosis due to contaminated drinking water in Inner Mongolia, and retrospectively analyzed. A logistic regression model was established to analyze associations of skin manifestations and comorbidities with patients′ gender, age, age at onset of drinking of arsenic?contaminated water, arsenic concentrations in water and duration of arsenic exposure. Results Among the 95 patients, 77 had hyperpigmentation, 75 hypopigmentation, 93 palmoplantar keratoderma, 27 skin cancer, and 8 multiple skin cancer. Five patients were complicated by tuberculosis, 15 by hypertension, 2 by rheumatoid arthritis, 4 by cerebral infarction, 7 by coronary heart diseases, 3 by internal malignancy, 6 by hepatic cirrhosis and 2 by anemia. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between hyperpigmentation and arsenic concentrations in water(OR=0.32, 95%CI=0.10-0.98;ORadjusted=0.27, 95%CI=0.08-0.90), between occurrence of hepatic cirrhosis and arsenic concentrations in water (OR=24.67, 95%CI=2.69-226.57;ORadjusted=22.51, 95%CI=2.38-213.11), and between occurrence of coronary heart diseases and duration of arsenic exposure(OR=6.41, 95%CI=1.09-37.88;ORadjusted=8.55, 95%CI=1.21-60.41). Conclusions There is a high incidence of aberrant pigment metabolism, palmoplantar keratoderma and skin cancer in patients with chronic arsenicosis due to contaminated drinking water. Different arsenic concentrations in water and duration of arsenic exposure seem to have different influences on the human body.