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Increased urinary arsenic concentration in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus: a gender-independent, smoking-dependent exposure biomarker in older adults in Tehran

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Abstract

Arsenic is ranked in the top ten environmental toxicants but its impact on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its association with other human health effects is contradictory. We aimed in this study to compare the urinary arsenic concentration (u As) in older age adults (> 40 years) and their T2DM subgroup in an age and gender-matched case control study to find the association of u As with, diet, oxidative stress, smoking, anthropometric factors, and lifestyle in our study participants. Face-to-face interviews based on structured questionnaires were conducted on 200 female and male volunteers (100 cases and 100 control). Considering the exclusion criteria, u As concentration and serum biomarkers of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase) of 30 newly diagnosed T2DM and 30 control were determined by ICP-mass analysis and ELISA reader respectively. Despite the similarities in sociodemographic, diet, and lifestyle factors in males and females and their T2DM subgroups, a 4 times difference in u As levels between T2DM (93.7 ng/L (32)) and their healthy counterparts (23.7 ng/L (2.3)) without meaningful associations with gender, age, BMI, diet, and lifestyle was observed. Mean u As concentration in total population of smokers was significantly higher than non-smokers ((119 ng/L vs. 22.5 ng/L (p = 0.03)) and oxidative stress markers were not significantly higher in T2DM smokers than non-smokers. Chronic arsenic exposure through smoking could be contributed to the incidence of T2DM in older age adults. Oxidative stress markers were not significantly increased in smoker subgroup compared with non-smokers but except smoking pattern, other variables did not affect u As concentration. Precautionary measure to reduce the exposure of people with this element is recommended to prevent the arsenic-induced T2DM in human populations.

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Acknowledgments

Authors are thankful from the staff and medical team of Mostafa Khomeini University Hospital for the technical support of this study. We also acknowledge Kimiazi Laboratory, Iran FDA reference laboratory, for providing primary analysis of the urinary samples by ICP mass. The current study was the Pharm D. thesis of Dr. Atena Arab Yarmohammadi, and it was financially supported by Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences University (IAUTMU), Tehran, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences University (IAUTMU), Tehran, Iran

    Atena Arab YarMohammadi

  2. Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences University (IAUTMU), Dr. Shariati St., Gholhak, Yakhchal, Pharmaceutical Science Branch, Tehran, Iran

    Sepideh Arbabi Bidgoli

  3. Nutrition and Food Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences University (IAUTMU), Tehran, Iran

    Parisa Ziarati

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  1. Atena Arab YarMohammadi
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Correspondence to Sepideh Arbabi Bidgoli.

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Responsible Editor: Lotfi Aleya

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Research highlights

• Urinary arsenic concentration in T2DM patients was 4 times more than control.

• Although the u As level was significantly higher in T2DM (p < 0.025), direct correlation between anthropometric factors (BMI levels), dietary habits, use of cosmetics and arsenic containing traditional hair remover (vajebi), and lifestyle was not found in both genders of cases and control.

• Smoking pattern caused increased u As concentration in both genders, older age people, and their T2DM subgroup without any association with serum markers of oxidative stress.

• This is the first study on u As in Iranian population in both genders in this age range and females did not show higher u As despite similar studies in other countries.

• Higher u As levels in newly diagnosed T2DM could be considered a new etiologic biomarker without association with recent lifestyle, oxidative stress, diet, and sociodemographic factors.

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Arab YarMohammadi, A., Arbabi Bidgoli, S. & Ziarati, P. Increased urinary arsenic concentration in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus: a gender-independent, smoking-dependent exposure biomarker in older adults in Tehran. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 27769–27777 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10261-w

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