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A pathway-based analysis of urinary arsenic metabolites and skin lesions

Molly L Kile1, Elaine Hoffman, Ema G Rodrigues

  • 1Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. mkile@hsph.harvard.edu

American Journal of Epidemiology
|March 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Higher levels of monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), a metabolite of inorganic arsenic, are linked to an increased risk of skin lesions. This finding highlights the importance of arsenic metabolism in disease susceptibility.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Toxicology
  • Human Health

Background:

  • Inorganic arsenic exposure is a global health concern, leading to various diseases.
  • Arsenic metabolism, primarily to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), influences toxicity.
  • Limited evidence suggests impaired arsenic metabolism increases disease susceptibility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the percentage of MMA in urinary arsenic metabolites predicts the risk of skin lesions.
  • To determine the association between arsenic metabolism profiles and arsenic-induced skin conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study in Bangladesh (2001-2003) involving 859 cases and 868 controls with skin lesions.
  • Participants were matched for age, sex, and village.
  • Path analysis was employed to assess the relationship between urinary arsenic metabolite percentages and skin lesion odds.

Main Results:

  • A higher percentage of MMA was significantly associated with increased odds of skin lesions (OR(adj) = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.12).
  • Percentages of inorganic arsenic and DMA were not significantly associated with skin lesion risk.
  • Results were adjusted for covariates, arsenic metabolites, and other risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Urinary MMA percentage is a significant predictor of skin lesion risk.
  • Impaired arsenic metabolism, indicated by higher MMA levels, is associated with greater susceptibility to arsenic-related skin diseases.
  • These findings underscore the role of individual arsenic metabolism in disease pathogenesis.

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