State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jul 18;14:1175011. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1175011. eCollection 2023.
Environmental pollutants could be implicated in female endocrine setting Q6 beyond traditional factors. Until now, few study has focused on the association of environmental exposure to heavy metals with sex hormones in postmenopausal women. This study intended to investigate whether serum levels of heavy metals(i.e., Cd, Pb, Hg, Mn, Se) would influence sex hormones in postmenopausal women.
A cross-sectional study was performed on 614 nationally representative participants from 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the US. Multivariate linear regression models and restricted cubic spline plots revealed cadmium(Cd) had linear positive association with TT(β=3.25, 95%CI= 1.12, 5.38), bioavailable TT(β=1.78, 95%CI=0.36,3.21) and TT/E2(β=0.76, 95%CI=0.28,1.24), which was more apparent in natural menopausal and obese women. Lead(Pb) had linear positive association with SHBG(β=12.84, 95%CI= 6.77,18.91), which was apparent in nearly all subgroups except in normal BMI group, and TT/E2 (β=0.69, 95%CI 0.134,1.25), which was apparent in natural menopausal and normal BMI women. Manganese(Mn) had non-linear association with SHBG, which was more apparent in natural menopausal and obese women, and TT/E2, which was more apparent in natural menopausal and normal BMI women. Selenium(Se) had U shaped non-linear association with TT, which was more apparent in hysterectomy, overweight and obese women, and SHBG, which was apparent in nearly all subgroups except in normal BMI group.
In summary, this cross-sectional study indicates a possible role that various degree of environmental exposure to heavy metals plays in the disruption of sex Q5 hormone levels in postmenopausal women. Further experiments are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
环境污染物可能与传统因素一起影响女性内分泌系统 Q6。到目前为止，很少有研究关注环境暴露于重金属与绝经后妇女性激素之间的关系。本研究旨在调查重金属（即 Cd、Pb、Hg、Mn、Se）血清水平是否会影响绝经后妇女的性激素。
在美国 2013-2016 年国家健康和营养检查调查（NHANES）中，进行了一项 614 名具有全国代表性的参与者的横断面研究。多变量线性回归模型和限制性立方样条图显示，镉（Cd）与 TT（β=3.25，95%CI=1.12，5.38）、生物可利用 TT（β=1.78，95%CI=0.36，3.21）和 TT/E2（β=0.76，95%CI=0.28，1.24）呈线性正相关，在自然绝经和肥胖女性中更为明显。铅（Pb）与 SHBG（β=12.84，95%CI=6.77，18.91）呈线性正相关，除正常 BMI 组外，几乎所有亚组均明显，与 TT/E2（β=0.69，95%CI 0.134，1.25）呈线性正相关，在自然绝经和正常 BMI 女性中更为明显。锰（Mn）与 SHBG 呈非线性相关，在自然绝经和肥胖女性中更为明显，与 TT/E2 呈非线性相关，在自然绝经和正常 BMI 女性中更为明显。硒（Se）与 TT 呈 U 型非线性相关，在子宫切除术、超重和肥胖女性中更为明显，与 SHBG 呈非线性相关，除正常 BMI 组外，几乎所有亚组均明显。
总之，这项横断面研究表明，环境暴露于重金属的不同程度可能在绝经后妇女性激素水平紊乱中发挥作用。需要进一步的实验来阐明潜在的机制。
