Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children

Lozano, Manuel; McEachan, Rosemary R.C.; Wright, John; Yang, Tiffany C.; Dow, Courtney; Kadawathagedara, Manik; Lepeule, Johanna; Bustamante Pineda, Mariona; Maitre, Léa; Vrijheid, Martine; Brantsaeter, Anne Lise; Meltzer, Helle Margrete; Bempi, Vasiliki; Roumeliotaki, Theano; Thomsen, Cathrine; Nawrot, Tim S.; Broberg, Karin; Llop, Sabrina

Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children

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dc.contributor.author Lozano, Manuel
dc.contributor.author McEachan, Rosemary R.C.
dc.contributor.author Wright, John
dc.contributor.author Yang, Tiffany C.
dc.contributor.author Dow, Courtney
dc.contributor.author Kadawathagedara, Manik
dc.contributor.author Lepeule, Johanna
dc.contributor.author Bustamante Pineda, Mariona
dc.contributor.author Maitre, Léa
dc.contributor.author Vrijheid, Martine
dc.contributor.author Brantsaeter, Anne Lise
dc.contributor.author Meltzer, Helle Margrete
dc.contributor.author Bempi, Vasiliki
dc.contributor.author Roumeliotaki, Theano
dc.contributor.author Thomsen, Cathrine
dc.contributor.author Nawrot, Tim S.
dc.contributor.author Broberg, Karin
dc.contributor.author Llop, Sabrina
dc.date.accessioned 2024-07-10T16:59:33Z
dc.date.available 2024-07-10T16:59:33Z
dc.date.issued 2024
dc.description.abstract Background: Telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial function expressed as mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) are biomarkers of aging and oxidative stress and inflammation, respectively. Methylmercury (MeHg), a common pollutant in fish, induces oxidative stress. We hypothesized that elevated oxidative stress from exposure to MeHg decreases mtDNAcn and shortens TL. Methods: Study participants are 6-11-year-old children from the HELIX multi-center birth cohort study, comprising six European countries. Prenatal and postnatal total mercury (THg) concentrations were measured in blood samples, TL and mtDNAcn were determined in child DNA. Covariates and confounders were obtained by questionnaires. Robust regression models were run, considering sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates, as well as fish consumption. Sex, ethnicity, and fish consumption interaction models were also run. Results: We found longer TL with higher pre- and postnatal THg blood concentrations, even at low-level THg exposure according to the RfD proposed by the US EPA. The prenatal association showed a significant linear relationship with a 3.46 % increase in TL for each unit increased THg. The postnatal association followed an inverted U-shaped marginal non-linear relationship with 1.38 % an increase in TL for each unit increased THg until reaching a cut-point at 0.96 μg/L blood THg, from which TL attrition was observed. Higher pre- and postnatal blood THg concentrations were consistently related to longer TL among cohorts and no modification effect of fish consumption nor children's sex was observed. No association between THg exposure and mtDNAcn was found. Discussion: We found evidence that THg is associated with TL but the associations seem to be time- and concentration-dependent. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism behind the telomere changes of THg and related health effects.
dc.description.sponsorship This study was supported by grants from Spanish government through the Ministry of Universities under the grant CAS21/00008 and grant for the requalification of the Spanish University, financed by the European Union, NextGeneration EU. The HELIX Project has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 308333 and no 874583 ATHLETE project. The telomere and mtDNA protocol were developed with grants from FWO (FWO G073315N) and European Research Council (ERC-2012-StG 310898). INMA Study is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III [FIS-FEDER: 13/1944, 16/1288, 17/00663, 19/1338, 23/1578; FIS-FSE: 17/00260; Miguel Servet-FSE: MSII20/0006, FIS-PI06/0867, FIS-PI09/00090, CPII18/00018], CIBERESP, Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093, 2009111069, 2013111089, 2015111065), Generalitat Valenciana [BEST/2020/059, AICO/2020/285 and CIAICO/2021/132] and the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/002, DFG08/001 and DFG15/221 and DFG 89/17). Telomere measurements in the INMA cohort were funded by a grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS-PI15/00118). INMA Study also acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the State Research Agency through the “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019-2023” Program (CEX2018-000806-S), and support from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Program. The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research. Born in Bradford receives funding from by a joint grant from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and UK Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) [MR/N024391/1]; the British Heart Foundation [CS/16/4/32482]; a Wellcome Infrastructure Grant [WT101597MA]; The National Institute for Health Research under its Applied Research Collaboration for Yorkshire and Humber [NIHR200166].
dc.format.mimetype application/pdf
dc.identifier.citation Lozano M, McEachan RRC, Wright J, Yang TC, Dow C, Kadawathagedara M, et al. Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children. Sci Total Environ. 2024 Jul 1;932:173014. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173014
dc.identifier.doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173014
dc.identifier.issn 0048-9697
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10230/60718
dc.language.iso eng
dc.publisher Elsevier
dc.relation.ispartof Sci Total Environ. 2024 Jul 1;932:173014
dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/308333
dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/874583
dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/310898
dc.relation.projectID info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/2PE/CEX2018-000806-S
dc.rights.accessRights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights.uri http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.subject.keyword Fish consumption
dc.subject.keyword Mercury
dc.subject.keyword Mitochondrial DNA content
dc.subject.keyword Oxidative stress
dc.subject.keyword Telomere length
dc.title Early life exposure to mercury and relationships with telomere length and mitochondrial DNA content in European children
dc.type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.type.version info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

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