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Updated: Jan 12, 2026
Standards for Quantitative Metalloproteomic Analysis Using Size Exclusion ICP-MS
Published on: April 13, 2016
Associations between circulating multiple metals and immunoglobulin levels: A cross-sectional study
Yuying Wen1, Hanyu Hu1, Yufei Wang1
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Background:
Exposure to metals/metalloids has been linked to adverse health outcomes, yet their effects on humoral immunity remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations between plasma concentrations of 17 metals and serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels, including IgA, IgG, IgM, and IgE.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 3093 participants from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort. Plasma metal concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and serum immunoglobulin levels were assessed by immunoturbidimetry. Generalized linear regression models were applied to evaluate associations between individual plasma metal concentrations and immunoglobulin levels, with adjustments for multiple confounders. Dose-response relationships were evaluated using restricted cubic spline models. Interaction analyses were also performed to explore potential effect modifications by stratified factors, including age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, and drinking status.
Results:
Elevated plasma concentrations of arsenic, lead, and thallium were consistently associated with reduced serum IgA levels. Spline analyses revealed a particularly pronounced L-shaped relationship for lead. In contrast, higher concentrations of copper, molybdenum, and vanadium were positively associated with IgG, and zinc showed a positive association with IgE, following an inverted U-shaped dose-response pattern. After controlling for multiple testing, the associations of thallium with lower IgA and zinc with higher IgE remained significant. These associations also varied by demographic and lifestyle factors, with significant modifications observed for gender, age, and drinking status. No meaningful associations were detected for IgM.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that long-term exposure to specific metals is linked to distinct alterations in humoral immunity, particularly reductions in IgA and increases in IgG and IgE, underscoring the potential role of environmental metal exposure in immune dysregulation.
