Association between trace element concentrations in cancerous and non-cancerous tissues with the risk of gastrointestinal cancers in Eastern Iran

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2021-11, Vol.28 (44), p.62530-62540
• Main Authors: Nozadi, Fatemeh, Azadi, Namamali, Mansouri, Borhan, Tavakoli, Tahmine, Mehrpour, Omid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Arsenic; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cadmium; Cancer; Carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Chromium; Cobalt; Colon; Colon cancer; Colorectal cancer; colorectal neoplasms; Copper; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Esophageal cancer; esophageal neoplasms; Esophagus; Gastric cancer; Gastrointestinal cancer; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - epidemiology; Health risks; Heavy metals; Humans; Iran; Iran - epidemiology; Iron; Lead; Metals; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Nickel; Research Article; Risk; Selenium; Stomach; stomach neoplasms; Trace elements; Trace Elements - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zinc
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15224-3

This study was conducted to investigate the association between trace elements including cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As) in gastrointestinal cancer tissue and non-cancerous tissue (suspected gastrointestinal cancer) in Eastern Iran. The samples of 63 gastrointestinal cancers (stomach (n = 20), esophageal (n = 19), and colorectal (n = 24) along with 63 controls in South Khorasan Province, Iran, were collected and analyzed using ICP-MS (Agilent 7900). Our results indicated that the concentrations of Co (1.3 ± 0.8, 1.3 ± 0.8 μg kg −1 ), Cr (8.1 ± 7.3, 11.0 ± 14.8 μg kg −1 ), Ni (29.0 ± 20.1, 39.5 ± 30.2 μg kg −1 ), Pb (6.9 ± 4.0, 6.1 ± 4.6 μg kg −1 ), and Zn (867.6 ± 159.1, 935.6 ± 196.2 μg kg −1 ) were significantly higher among esophagus and colon cancer cases than controls ( p < 0.05). Similarly, stomach cancer cases showed higher Co, Cr, Ni, Se, and Zn and lower Cu concentrations than their controls ( p < 0.05). Moreover, the Spearman correlation between metals revealed a mostly low to moderate correlation between metals. Our finding illustrated that the significant risk differences of Cr, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn metals on esophagus cancer when considered the single predictor unadjusted for other metals and covariates RD (95% CI) – Cr: −0.274 (−0.463, −0.086), Ni: −0.288 (−0.457, −0.118), Pb: −0.171 (−0.463, −0.086), Se: −0.243 (−0.434, −0.051), and Zn: −0.094 (−0.143, −0.045) respectively. This study suggests that the trace element’s exposure may be associated with gastrointestinal cancer risk. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying trace element carcinogenesis further.