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. 2019 Oct:131:105029.
doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105029. Epub 2019 Jul 25.

Dose-dependent relationships between chronic arsenic exposure and cognitive impairment and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor

Yeasir Karim  1 , Abu Eabrahim Siddique  1 , Faruk Hossen  1 , Mizanur Rahman  1 , Victor Mondal  1 , Hasan Ul Banna  1 , M M Hasibuzzaman  1 , Zubaer Hosen  2 , Md Shofikul Islam  2 , Md Khalequzzaman Sarker  3 , Farjana Nikkon  1 , Zahangir Alam Saud  1 , Lian Xin  4 , Seiichiro Himeno  4 , Khaled Hossain  5
Affiliations
Free article

Dose-dependent relationships between chronic arsenic exposure and cognitive impairment and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor

Yeasir Karim et al. Environ Int. 2019 Oct.
Free article

Abstract

Background: Arsenic poisoning is a public health problem worldwide. A few studies have reported the effects of arsenic exposure on adult cognitive function, but with limitations in the subject selection and exposure markers. Moreover, information regarding the association between arsenic exposure and biomarker of cognitive impairment is scarce.

Objectives: We examined the associations between arsenic exposure and adult cognitive impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a potential biomarker of cognitive health status.

Methods: We designed a cross-sectional study that recruited 693 adult (18-60 years old) subjects from the areas of low- and high‑arsenic exposure in rural Bangladesh. The subjects' arsenic exposure levels (drinking water, hair, and nail arsenic concentrations) were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy. The Bangla version of the MMSE was used as a cognitive assessment tool. Serum BDNF (sBDNF) levels were assessed by immunoassay.

Results: In this study, we found that average MMSE score and sBDNF level of the subjects in arsenic-endemic areas were significantly (p < 0.001 for both) lower than those of the subjects in non-endemic area. Our analyses revealed that both MMSE scores and sBDNF levels were decreased with the increasing concentrations of arsenic in drinking water, hair, and nails in a dose-dependent fashion. In regression analyses, significant associations of arsenic exposure metrics with MMSE scores and sBDNF levels were observed even after adjustment for several variables. Intriguingly, MMSE scores showed a significantly positive correlation with sBDNF levels.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that chronic exposure to arsenic dose-dependently decreases cognitive function in adults, with a concomitant reduction of sBDNF levels. A decreased BDNF level may be part of the biochemical basis of chronic arsenic exposure-related cognitive impairment.

Keywords: Arsenic; Bangladesh; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Cognitive impairment.

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