Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2013 Mar;216(2):195-201. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2012.03.001. Epub 2012 Apr 9.
Methylmercury-associated effects on the cardiovascular system have been documented though discrepancies exist, and most studied populations experience elevated methylmercury exposures. No paper has investigated the impact of low-level elemental (inorganic) mercury exposure on cardiovascular risk in humans. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the association between mercury exposure (methylmercury and elemental mercury) and blood pressure measures in a cohort of dental professionals that experience background exposures to both mercury forms. Dental professionals were recruited during the 2010 Michigan Dental Association Annual Convention. Mercury levels in hair and urine samples were analyzed as biomarkers of methylmercury and elemental mercury exposure, respectively. Blood pressure (systolic, diastolic) was measured using an automated device. Distribution of mercury in hair (mean, range: 0.45, 0.02-5.18 μg/g) and urine (0.94, 0.03-5.54 μg/L) correspond well with the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Linear regression models revealed significant associations between diastolic blood pressure (adjusted for blood pressure medication use) and hair mercury (n=262, p=0.02). Urine mercury results opposed hair mercury in many ways. Notably, elemental mercury exposure was associated with a significant systolic blood pressure decrease (n=262, p=0.04) that was driven by the male population. Associations between blood pressure and two forms of mercury were found at exposure levels relevant to the general population, and associations varied according to type of mercury exposure and gender.
已记录到甲基汞对心血管系统的影响，但存在差异，并且大多数研究人群都经历过甲基汞暴露的增加。没有研究调查过低水平元素（无机）汞暴露对人类心血管风险的影响。本研究的目的是增加对牙科专业人员中汞暴露（甲基汞和元素汞）与血压测量之间关联的理解，这些专业人员经历过这两种汞形式的背景暴露。在 2010 年密歇根州牙医协会年会上招募了牙科专业人员。使用自动化设备测量了头发和尿液样本中的汞水平，以分别作为甲基汞和元素汞暴露的生物标志物。血压（收缩压、舒张压）使用自动设备进行测量。头发（均值，范围：0.45，0.02-5.18μg/g）和尿液（0.94，0.03-5.54μg/L）中汞的分布与美国国家健康和营养检查调查结果非常吻合。线性回归模型显示，舒张压（调整了血压药物使用情况）与头发中的汞之间存在显著关联（n=262，p=0.02）。尿液汞的结果在许多方面与头发汞相反。值得注意的是，元素汞暴露与收缩压显著下降（n=262，p=0.04）有关，这是由男性人群驱动的。在与一般人群相关的暴露水平下，血压与两种形式的汞之间存在关联，并且关联因汞暴露类型和性别而异。
