Lead (Pb) and neurodevelopment: A review on exposure and biomarkers of effect (BDNF, HDL) and susceptibility
Metadatos
Mostrar el registro completo del ítemEditorial
Elsevier
Materia
Human biomonitoring HBM4EU Effect biomarkers Susceptibility biomarkers Neurodevelopmental toxicity Epigenetics
Fecha
2021-10-13Referencia bibliográfica
Claudia Gundacker... [et al.]. Lead (Pb) and neurodevelopment: A review on exposure and biomarkers of effect (BDNF, HDL) and susceptibility, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, Volume 238, 2021, 113855, ISSN 1438-4639, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113855]
Patrocinador
European Unions' Horizon 2020 research and innovation Programme 733032 HBM4EUResumen
Lead (Pb) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant and a potent toxic compound. Humans are exposed to Pb
through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact via food, water, tobacco smoke, air, dust, and soil. Pb accumulates
in bones, brain, liver and kidney. Fetal exposure occurs via transplacental transmission. The most critical
health effects are developmental neurotoxicity in infants and cardiovascular effects and nephrotoxicity in adults.
Pb exposure has been steadily decreasing over the past decades, but there are few recent exposure data from
the general European population; moreover, no safe Pb limit has been set. Sensitive biomarkers of exposure,
effect and susceptibility, that reliably and timely indicate Pb-associated toxicity are required to assess human
exposure-health relationships in a situation of low to moderate exposure.
Therefore, a systematic literature review based on PubMed entries published before July 2019 that addressed
Pb exposure and biomarkers of effect and susceptibility, neurodevelopmental toxicity, epigenetic modifications,
and transcriptomics was conducted. Finally included were 58 original papers on Pb exposure and 17 studies on
biomarkers. The biomarkers that are linked to Pb exposure and neurodevelopment were grouped into effect
biomarkers (serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and serum/saliva cortisol), susceptibility markers
(epigenetic markers and gene sequence variants) and other biomarkers (serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL),
maternal iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) status). Serum BDNF and plasma HDL are potential candidates to be further
validated as effect markers for routine use in HBM studies of Pb, complemented by markers of Fe and Ca status to
also address nutritional interactions related to neurodevelopmental disorders. For several markers, a causal
relationship with Pb-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity is likely. Results on BDNF are discussed in relation to
Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) 13 ("Chronic binding of antagonist to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors
(NMDARs) during brain development induces impairment of learning and memory abilities”) of the AOP-Wiki.
Further studies are needed to validate sensitive, reliable, and timely effect biomarkers, especially for low to
moderate Pb exposure scenarios.