Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design (BERD) core, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS), The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jun 28;16(13):2303. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16132303.
Environmental exposure to lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and aluminum (Al) has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We conducted a pilot study during May 2015-May 2107 to estimate blood concentrations of six metals (Pb, Hg, As, Cd, Mn, and Al) and identify their associated factors for children with ASD or suspected of having ASD in Romania. Sixty children, age 2-8 years, were administered versions of ADOS or ADI-R translated from English to Romanian. After assessment, 2-3 mL of blood was obtained and analyzed for the concentrations of the six metals. The mean age of children was 51.9 months and about 90% were male. More than half (65%) of the children were born in Bucharest. Over 90% of concentrations of As and Cd were below limits of detection. Geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Mn, Al, and Hg were 1.14 μg/dL, 10.84 μg/L, 14.44 μg/L, and 0.35 μg/L, respectively. Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that children who were female, had less educated parents, exhibited pica, and ate cold breakfast (e.g., cereal), watermelon, and lamb had significantly higher concentrations of Pb compared to their respective referent categories (all < 0.05 except for eating lamb, which was marginally significant, = 0.053). Although this is the first study that provides data on concentrations of the six metals for Romanian children with ASD, the findings from this study could be useful for designing future epidemiologic studies for investigating the role of these six metals in ASD in Romanian children.
环境暴露于铅（Pb）、汞（Hg）、砷（As）、镉（Cd）、锰（Mn）和铝（Al）与神经发育障碍有关，包括自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）。我们在 2015 年 5 月至 2017 年 5 月期间进行了一项试点研究，以估计罗马尼亚患有 ASD 或疑似患有 ASD 的儿童的六种金属（Pb、Hg、As、Cd、Mn 和 Al）的血液浓度，并确定其相关因素。60 名 2-8 岁的儿童接受了从英语翻译为罗马尼亚语的 ADOS 或 ADI-R 版本的评估。评估后，采集 2-3 毫升血液，分析六种金属的浓度。儿童的平均年龄为 51.9 个月，约 90%为男性。超过一半（65%）的儿童出生于布加勒斯特。超过 90%的 As 和 Cd 浓度低于检测限。Pb、Mn、Al 和 Hg 的几何均数浓度分别为 1.14μg/dL、10.84μg/L、14.44μg/L 和 0.35μg/L。多变量线性回归分析显示，与各自的参考类别相比，女性、父母受教育程度较低、出现异食癖、吃冷早餐（如谷类食品）、西瓜和羊肉的儿童，其 Pb 浓度显著升高（均<0.05，除了吃羊肉，其边缘显著，=0.053）。尽管这是第一项提供罗马尼亚 ASD 儿童六种金属浓度数据的研究，但该研究结果可能有助于设计未来的流行病学研究，以调查这六种金属在罗马尼亚 ASD 儿童中的作用。
