Choi Anna L, Weihe Pal, Budtz-Jørgensen Esben, Jørgensen Poul J, Salonen Jukka T, Tuomainen Tomi-Pekka, Murata Katsuyuki, Nielsen Hans Petur, Petersen Maria Skaalum, Askham Jórun, Grandjean Philippe
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Environ Health Perspect. 2009 Mar;117(3):367-72. doi: 10.1289/ehp.11608. Epub 2008 Oct 16.
Methylmercury (MeHg), a worldwide contaminant found in fish and seafood, has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.
We examined 42 Faroese whaling men (30-70 years of age) to assess possible adverse effects within a wide range of MeHg exposures from consumption of pilot whale meat.
We assessed exposure levels from mercury analysis of toenails and whole blood (obtained at the time of clinical examination), and a hair sample collected 7 years previously. Outcome measures included heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure (BP), common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP). We carried out multiple regression and structural equation model (SEM) analyses to determine the confounder-adjusted effect of mercury exposure. Taking into account correlations among related measures, we categorized exposure and outcomes in groups to derive latent exposure and response variables in SEMs. We used multiple regression analysis to compare the predictive validity of individual exposure biomarkers and the latent exposure variable on individual and latent outcomes.
The toenail mercury concentrations varied widely and had a geometric mean of 2.0 microg/g; hair concentrations averaged about 3-fold higher. Mercury exposure was significantly associated with increased BP and IMT. This effect was reflected by SEMs, but mercury in toenails tended to be the best effect predictor.
The results support the notion that increased MeHg exposure promotes the development of cardiovascular disease.
甲基汞（MeHg）是一种在鱼类和海鲜中发现的全球性污染物，与心血管疾病死亡率增加有关。
我们对42名法罗群岛捕鲸男性（30至70岁）进行了检查，以评估食用领航鲸肉导致的广泛甲基汞暴露范围内可能产生的不良影响。
我们通过对脚趾甲和全血（在临床检查时采集）进行汞分析以及对7年前采集的头发样本进行分析来评估暴露水平。结果指标包括心率变异性（HRV）、血压（BP）、颈总动脉内膜中层厚度（IMT）和脑干听觉诱发电位（BAEP）。我们进行了多元回归和结构方程模型（SEM）分析，以确定汞暴露经过混杂因素调整后的影响。考虑到相关测量之间的相关性，我们将暴露和结果进行分组，以在结构方程模型中得出潜在暴露和反应变量。我们使用多元回归分析来比较个体暴露生物标志物和潜在暴露变量对个体和潜在结果的预测效度。
脚趾甲中的汞浓度差异很大，几何平均值为2.0微克/克；头发中的汞浓度平均高出约3倍。汞暴露与血压升高和内膜中层厚度增加显著相关。这种影响在结构方程模型中得到了体现，但脚趾甲中的汞往往是最佳的影响预测指标。
这些结果支持了甲基汞暴露增加会促进心血管疾病发展这一观点。
