Evaluating the association between opium abuse, blood lead levels, and the complexity of coronary artery disease.

Opium abuse and exposure to heavy metals elevate the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, we aimed to determine the association between opium abuse and blood lead levels (BLLs) and the CAD complexity. We evaluated patients with acute coronary symptoms who underwent coronary angiography, and those with >50% stenosis in at least one of the coronary arteries were included. Furthermore, Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery I (SYNTAX I) score and BLLs were measured. Based on the opium abuse, 95 patients were subdivided into opium (45) and control (50) groups. Differences in demographics and CAD risk factors were insignificant between the two groups. The median BLLs were remarkably higher in the opium group than in controls (36 (35.7) and 20.5 µg/dL (11.45), respectively, p = 0.003). We also revealed no significant differences in SYNTAX score between the two groups (15.0 (9.0) and 17.5 (14.0), respectively, p = 0.28). Additionally, we found no significant correlation between BLLs and the SYNTAX scores (p = 0.277 and r = -0.113). Opium abuse was associated with high BLLs. Neither opium abuse nor high BLLs were correlated with the complexity of CAD. Further studies are warranted to establish better the relationship between opium abuse, BLLs, and CAD.

Blood lead levels in pregnant women and their newborn infants at an Indian teaching hospital.

Background and Aim: With the growth of the world's economy and industrialization, lead (Pb) contamination in the environment has become a major issue on a global scale. Lead is typically linked to unfavorable pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth, low birth weight preterm, and spontaneous abortion. In this study, we evaluated the blood lead levels of pregnant women and their birth outcomes attending an Indian tertiary care teaching hospital, those who were not exposed to any lead-associated industry or shops. Methods: A descriptive study was undertaken to evaluate blood lead estimation in pregnant women and umbilical blood lead levels in a community hospital. Blood samples from 104 mothers during the 1st trimester, 90 mothers during 3rd trimester, and from the umbilical cord were collected. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on demographics, medical history, and concerns linked to pregnancy. Following acid digestion, the levels of lead in whole blood were determined by an atomic absorption spectrometer. The DNA damage in high blood lead-concentrated pregnant women was evaluated by comet assay methods. Results: Among 194 blood samples of pregnant women, 31 (15.98%) samples revealed ≥5 µg/dL blood lead levels. High lead concentration (≥5 µg/dL) in 1st trimester pregnant women, end of 3rd trimester and cord blood were detected 20.19%, 11.11% and 1.11% respectively. The mean blood lead levels in 1st trimester, 3rd trimester, and cord blood were 3.88 ± 3.19, 2.66 ± 1.82, and 1.53 ± 1.06 mg/dL, respectively. The blood lead concentrations were significantly higher in the 1st trimester of pregnancy than in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy (P < 0.0017). A positive correlation between maternal and infant blood lead levels was revealed (P < 0.0001). When the comet assay was used to assess the genotoxic consequences of elevated blood lead levels during pregnancy, higher amounts of DNA damage were found in the samples (P < 0.01). Conclusion: In this descriptive study, there was a significant amount of lead transferred from mother to baby through the placenta. All mothers were not exposed to lead-associated industry and most were housewives. This article may be viewed as an eye-opener for understanding the blood lead concentration during pregnancy to avoid abnormal birth outcomes. To minimize exposure to environmental lead, all possible measures should be undertaken.

Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Lead Poisoning: A Brief Report.

Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations of lead poisoning include abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea. Depending on the severity of a symptom, surgical consultation is required. The present study aimed to make a comparison between the mean blood lead levels of patients hospitalized for lead toxicity and the various Gl symptoms. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in 2020 at Khorshid Hospital, the main regional referral center for poisoned patients (Isfahan, Iran). A total of 82 patients aged ≥18 years who were hospitalized for lead poisoning during 2017-2018 were included in the study. Patients' information was extracted from hospital medical records, including demographic information, clinical manifestations, blood lead levels, and treatment outcome. The mean age of the patients was 48.18±11.9 years, 91.5% were men, and 62.2% suffered from multiple GI symptoms, with abdominal pain being predominant (31.7%). Blood lead levels in patients with multiple GI symptoms were higher than those with only one symptom (P=0.01). Surgical consultation was required in 14.6% of the patients. Multiple GI symptoms were the main predictive factor for blood lead levels above 70 mg/dL (P=0.03, Odds ratio=3.06, 95% CI=1.09-8.61). Given the prevalence of abdominal pain and its association with elevated blood lead levels, differential diagnosis of abdominal pain should include lead toxicity.

Assessment of Blood Lead Level of School Children in 10 Cities of India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the blood lead level (BLL) of school children in 10 cities of India. METHODS: This multi-centric cross-sectional study enrolled participants from randomly selected schools. Data on demographic details, socioeconomic status (SES) and anthropometric indicators was collected. Samples were collected for assessment of lead level in blood. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry technique was used to assess BLL. RESULTS: From April 2019 through February 2020, 2247 participants were recruited from sixty schools (62.6% government schools) with equal gender distribution. The overall median (interquartile range) BLL was 8.8 (4.8, 16.4) µg/dl. The highest median (interquartile range) BLL was in Manipal 30.6 (23.0, 46.7) and lowest in Dibrugarh 4.8 (3.2, 7.0). Overall, 82.5% of participants had BLL above ≤4 µg/dl. Significant negative correlation was observed between BLL and SES (correlation= -0.24, p <0.001), anthropometric indicators (correlation= -0.11, p <0.001), hemoglobin level (correlation= -0.045, p = 0.03) and multivariate regression model showed association with gender, SES and anthropometric indicators. CONCLUSIONS: BLL are elevated in urban school going children and there is intercity variation. Hence, urgent focus is needed to reduce exposure to lead in India.

Blood-lead level in humans and drug addiction: a comprehensive study in Iran.

Drug abuse has a high prevalence worldwide and causes many health-related disorders. There are limited human exposure studies on establishing lead exposure levels and their propensity for drug addiction. In the present study, blood samples were tested for lead (Pb) concentrations in illicit drug users together with the related symptoms in comparison with control group of non-drug users. The study was performed on 250 volunteers divided equally in four drug groups, namely, opioids, hashish, methadone, and methamphetamine, and one control group of non-drug users. Participants were recruited from drug addiction clinics and camps in Kashan city, Iran, who were using drugs continuously for more than 1 year. Control group was recruited from companions of the patients with no drug use history. In the investigated groups of drug users, the highest blood-lead level (BLL) concentrations were observed in the opioid group (mean 37.57 µg/dL) with almost 3.7 times higher than in the control group (mean 3.39 µg/dL). In the methamphetamine group, type of occupation had the significant association with BLL concentrations. The positive correlation was revealed in the opioid and methadone groups for BLL concentrations and the duration of drug usage. In the opioid group, the highest BLL concentrations were observed among users who used both methods of drug use: smoking and eating. Also, several behavioral and life-style factors were identified which influence the blood-lead concentration in the drug users. The results of our study revealed that the BLL concentrations in investigated drug users' groups were significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.001). That can be related with the Pb contents in illicitly used drugs. Apart other adverse health effects, long-term illicit drug use might cause to lead poisoning.

The Relationship between Blood Lead Level and Chronic Pain in US Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Lead toxicity has been a major public health problem worldwide, yet no study has investigated the association between lead exposure and chronic pain. METHODS: We used data from three cycles of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with chronic pain status. We conducted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to investigate the association between chronic pain and blood lead level (BLL). Subgroup analyses were performed to explore which confounding factor modified the association between chronic pain and BLL. RESULTS: A total of 13,485 participants were included in our final analysis, out of which 1950 (14.46%) had chronic pain. In the fully adjusted model, a 1 µg/dL increase of BLL was associated with 3% higher risk of chronic pain. The highest BLL quartile (BLL > 2.40 µg/dL) was associated with a 32% increase in the risk of chronic pain compared with the lowest BLL quartile (BLL < 0.90 µg/dL). In the subgroup analyses, hypertension (P for interaction = 0.018) and arthritis (P for interaction = 0.004) status modified the association between BLL and chronic pain. Higher quartiles of BLL were associated with a higher risk of chronic pain only in individuals with hypertension or arthritis but not those without these conditions. CONCLUSION: A higher BLL was associated with a higher risk of chronic pain. Further research is warranted to investigate whether a causal relationship exists between the two, as well as potential underlying mechanisms.

The contribution of secondhand tobacco smoke to blood lead levels in US children and adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2015-2018.

BACKGROUND: Lead is a major developmental neurotoxicant in children, and tobacco smoke has been suggested as a source of lead exposure in vulnerable populations. This study evaluates the contribution of secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) to blood lead levels (BLLs) in children and adolescents. METHODS: We analyze data from 2,815 participants aged 6-19 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015-2018) to investigate the association between serum cotinine levels and BLLs. A multivariate linear regression was conducted to estimate geometric means (GMs) and the ratios of GMs after adjusting for all covariates. RESULTS: The geometric means of BLLs in study participants aged 6 - 19 years were 0.46 µg/dl (95% CI 0.44, 0.49). After adjusting for relevant participant characteristics, the geometric means of BLLs were 18% (BLL 0.48 µg/dl, 95% CI 0.45, 0.51) and 29% (BLL 0.52 µg/dl, 95% CI 0.46, 0.59) higher in participants who had intermediate serum cotinine levels (0.03 - 3 ng/mL) and those who had high serum cotinine levels (> 3 ng/mL) respectively, compared to participants who had low serum cotinine levels (BLL 0.41 µg/dl, 95% CI 0.38, 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: SHS exposure may be a source of BLLs in US children and adolescents. Efforts to reduce lead exposure in children and adolescents should include strategies to reduce SHS exposure.

Lead poisoning in a 6-month-old infant: a case report.

Background: Lead is a toxic element of the environment that leads to major complications once it enters the blood stream, affecting multiple organs and systems of the body. Methods: We present a case of a 6-month-old female infant diagnosed with lead poisoning after presenting for routine child health care. The child's mother denied that the infant had a history of exposure to lead-containing substances. After a month of calcium supplementation, the patient's blood lead level remained elevated. We then tested the blood lead level of the mother and father. The results showed that the blood lead level of the mother was 77.0 µg/L and that of the father was 36.9 µg/L. The high blood lead level of the mother attracted our attention. We found that the mother had been using an external traditional Chinese medicine, Hu Wang Fen, which contains lead. After the mother's discontinuation of use of the traditional medicine, the child was treated with symptomatic treatment and chelation therapy. Subsequently, the patient's blood lead level decreased significantly. Results: Lead toxicity can be a life-threatening problem because of its potential for severe complications. In children, there is no safe blood lead level, and the toxic effects of lead can be prevented by the awareness and avoidance of traditional Chinese medicines that may contain lead. Conclusion: Even though the diagnosis of lead poisoning remains difficult in children, it must be taken into consideration by the clinician when treating a child using traditional Chinese medicines.

Asymptomatic Lead Poisoning in a Pediatric Patient.

Lead poisoning is a harmful condition, potentially resulting in irreversible impairments in neurocognition and behavioral development in the pediatric population. Rarely, life-threatening complications may ensue. We report a case of an asymptomatic four-year-old patient presenting with elevated lead levels (74.7 µg/dL) detected on routine blood lead screening at a well-child examination. The patient has a history significant for atopic disease, namely atopic dermatitis, seasonal allergic rhinitis, and food allergies. Overall, the asymptomatic nature of lead poisoning warrants judicious screening in the pediatric population due to the potential for neurologic complications.

Method development for the quantification of lead levels in whole blood sampled on Mitra® with VAMS® tips by inductively coupled plasma-MS/MS.

Background: Lead is harmful for humans by having adverse effects on different biological systems. Venepuncture is the gold standard for blood lead level analysis, but this method has many flaws. The goal of this research was to develop and validate a more practical approach for blood sampling. Materials & methods: Mitra® devices based on VAMS® and inductively coupled plasma-MS/MS technologies were employed. Performance evaluation of the newly developed method was also performed by comparing it versus a commonly used method at the Centre de Toxicologie du Québec for blood lead level analysis. Results: Comparison showed no signs of significant difference between the two methods. Conclusion: VAMS may be a useful alternative sampling approach for further research on blood lead analysis and possibly for many other trace elements.

How does formal and informal industry contribute to lead exposure? A narrative review from Vietnam, Uruguay, and Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION: Lead industries are one of the major sources of environmental pollution and can affect human through different activities, including industrial processes, metal plating, mining, battery recycling, etc. Although different studies have documented the various sources of lead exposure, studies highlighting different types of industries as sources of environmental contamination are limited. Therefore, this narrative review aims to focus mainly on lead industries as significant sources of environmental and human contamination. CONTENT: Based on the keywords searched in bibliographic databases we found 44 relevant articles that provided information on lead present in soil, water, and blood or all components among participants living near high-risk areas. We presented three case scenarios to highlight how lead industries have affected the health of citizens in Vietnam, Uruguay, and Malaysia. SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK: Factories conducting mining, e-waste processing, used lead-acid battery recycling, electronic repair, and toxic waste sites were the primary industries for lead exposure. Our study has shown lead exposure due to industrial activities in Vietnam, Uruguay, Malaysia and calls for attention to the gaps in strategic and epidemiologic efforts to understand sources of environmental exposure to lead fully. Developing strategies and guidelines to regulate industrial activities, finding alternatives to reduce lead toxicity and exposure, and empowering the public through various community awareness programs can play a crucial role in controlling exposure to lead.

A Study of Maternal and Umbilical Cord Blood Lead Levels in Pregnant Women.

Lead is a highly toxic element which can cross the placental barrier and enter the fetus during pregnancy. Parental lead exposure has adverse effect on infant as well as on maternal health. As part of our program to investigate the lead poisoning in human population we investigated the maternal blood lead levels (MBLL) and umbilical cord blood lead (UBLL) levels in 200 pregnant women and collected their socio-demographic details. In the study we found high lead levels in both maternal and umbilical cord blood samples. The results showed 47.5% maternal blood (n = 95) detected with lead while 38.5% umbilical cord blood (n = 77) samples had lead concentration higher than that of reference range of ≤ 5 µg/dL. We also found that the Spearman's correlation coefficient (rs) revealed a strong positive correlation between the MBLL and UBLL (rs = 0.63). The results from socio-demographic questionnaire demonstrated that the recent home painting (p = 0.002) and residing close proximity to traffic congestion (p = 0.05) were significantly associated with MBLL. Education, mother age, fuel and water sources were not significantly associated with MBLL. Iron and calcium deficiency along with tiredness, lethargy, abdominal pain were also reported in women having high lead level > 5 µg/dL. Concludingly, on the basis of results obtained it may be stated that we found elevated BLLs in both pregnant women as well as in umbilical cord blood. The prevalence of elevated lead levels in mothers will expose the fetus to lead through placental barriers mobilization and it can have long term adverse effects on the developing fetus. Therefore, it is recommended that screening of blood lead levels be carried out in high-risk women based on their social, occupational, environmental, and individual factors. In addition, stringent regulations on lead-based products are also required from government agencies/authorities to reduce environmental lead burden and toxicity. Moreover, public awareness programs should be organized on hazardous effect of lead.

Iron deficiency and cognitive impairment in children with low blood lead levels.

Background: The relationship between iron deficiency (ID) and children's neurocognitive functions has attracted the interest of the scientific community, particularly among those living at the lead-contaminated sites. Thus, the current paper aims at evaluating the association between ID and neurocognitive performance of school children living in a mining area (CMA) in comparison with a control group (CG). Methods: he study involves 90 school children aged from 6 to 10 years old. A survey was conducted to obtain information on the socio-economic and demographic status of the children. The students underwent cognitive test battery including the Bell Dam Test (BDT) and the Digit Span test (DST). Iron status (IS) was determined by serum iron, ferritin, transferrin, and blood count (CBC). Blood lead levels (BLLs) were measured by the Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (SAA-FG). Results: An ID was observed in 23.3 % of CMA, but it is not statistically different from the CG 21.7 % (p = 0.774). CMA group exhibited elevated BLLs (3.5 ± 1.21 µg/dL) when compared to the CG (2.31 ± 0.95 µg/dL), p = 0.006. Children's performance on the visual attention test (VA) was impaired in both groups. Working memory (WM) abilities were normal. In bivariate analysis, no difference was demonstrated in mean BLLs between the students who adopt the disorganized scanning strategy compared to the others whose method is organized for both CMA (t = - 0.508, p = 0.616) and CG (t = - 0.014, p = 0.989). Multivariate models did not reveal any association between IS and cognitive scores of children in the two groups (p > 005). Nevertheless, daily milk consumption was positively associated to VA skills among CMA. A negative influence of BLLs above the threshold value of 5 µg/dL was determined on children's WM skills. Conclusion: Our results suggest that low-level lead exposure did not influence children's visual attention scores but may adversely affect WM abilities if it reaches the threshold value of 5 µg/dL regardless of their IS.

Immune Responses to COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Lead Exposure.

Literature data regarding the response rate to COVID-19 vaccination in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients remain inconclusive. Furthermore, studies have reported a relationship between lead exposure and susceptibility to viral infections. This study examined immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines in patients with CKD and lead exposure. Between October and December 2021, 50 lead-exposed CKD patients received two doses of vaccination against COVID-19 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the median blood lead level (BLL): upper (≥1.30 µg/dL, n = 24) and lower (<1.30 µg/dL, n = 26) 50th percentile. The patients were aged 65.9 ± 11.8 years. CKD stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 accounted for 26.0%, 20.0%, 22.0%, 8.0% and 24.0% of the patients, respectively. Patients in the lower 50th percentile of BLL had a lower proportion of CKD stage 5 than patients in the upper 50th percentile BLL group (p = 0.047). The patients in the lower 50th percentile BLL group also received a higher proportion of messenger RNA vaccines and a lower proportion of adenovirus-vectored vaccines than the patients in the upper 50th percentile BLL group (p = 0.031). Notably, the neutralizing antibody titers were higher in the lower 50th percentile than in the upper 50th percentile BLL group. Furthermore, the circulating levels of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, interleukin-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α were higher in the upper 50th percentile than in the lower 50th percentile BLL group. Therefore, it was concluded that lead-exposed CKD patients are characterized by an impaired immune response to COVID-19 vaccination with diminished neutralizing antibodies and augmented inflammatory reactions.

Commentary on the Risk Assessment of Lead by the Food Safety Commission of Japan.

This article describes in detail the process of and the basis for the risk assessment of lead, started as a self-tasking assessment in April 2008 and finalized in June 2021 by the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ). Discussion points addressed in the working group set under the FSCJ in April 2019 are also presented in this commentary. To reflect the overall exposure to lead from various sources, blood lead level (BLL) was used as the basic metric for the assessment. For the evaluation of effects on human health, the approach of overall weight of evidence was taken, rather than selecting one critical endpoint, in consideration of the uncertainties inherent to epidemiological studies, particularly those examining the effects associated with low-level lead exposure. The overall evidence compiled for the assessment suggested that BLLs in the range of 1-2 µg/dL might be associated with some effects on human health. The representative value of BLL for the entire population was difficult to obtain due to the lack of a national population-based survey in Japan. Instead, the current average BLL of the Japanese population was estimated based on recent studies conducted in Japan. The estimated average exposure level was below or equal to 1 µg/dL and close to the levels at which some effects on human health might occur, as suggested by epidemiological studies. Hence, the continued enforcement of measures to reduce lead exposure is indispensable. Furthermore, a national human biomonitoring program to continuously assess the exposure status of the Japanese population, which can be ultimately used for assuring the effectiveness of control measures, is needed.

"Blood lead level among battery factory workers in low and middle-income countries: Systematic review and meta-analysis".

Introduction: Lead is one of the most health-hazardous causes of acute and chronic poisoning at workplaces. A limited study was conducted on the blood lead concentration among battery factory workers in low and middle-income countries. Therefore, this study will improve workplace health and safety conditions of workers in this sector and serve as baseline data for further studies in this segment of the working setup. Objective: This review aims to identify the pooled mean blood lead level among battery factory workers in low and middle-income countries. Methods: The search methods considered the following electronic bibliographic databases: google scholar, PubMed, and other gray literature. A funnel plot and Begg test were used to see the publication bias. The heterogeneity of studies was checked using I-square statistics with a cut of point 75% and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality assessment tool was applied to ensure the quality of the included articles. A random-effect model was applied to pool the blood lead level intoxication. The sub-group analysis and Meta-regression analysis were conducted by country and year of publication to control heterogeneity and to show variation. We included the articles published from 2000 to 2021 year in the English language. Results: Through the search strategies, 135 articles were identified and 43 full-text articles were selected for evaluation, and finally, eighteen (18) articles fit the inclusion criteria. From the 18 studies included in the meta-analysis, the mean pooled blood lead level of workers was 37.996 µg/dl (95% CI: 30.680-45.312) which is higher than the threshold limit value set by American conference of governmental industrial hygienists (20 µg/dl). In subgroup analysis by year in the random effect model, the pooled mean of blood lead level from 2006 to 2011= 43.20 µg/dL (35.91-50.50), 2012-2015 = 37.78 µg/dl (25.23-50.29), and 2016-2020 = 36.53 µg/dl (19.44-53.62). Conclusions: This review showed that the pooled mean blood lead level of workers exposed to lead battery factories was (37.996 µg/dl) which is above the threshold limit value (20 µg/dl). Therefore, attention should be given by employers, government, and researchers to improve the health of working populations exposed to lead exposure in low and middle-income countries through the provision of occupational health and safety services like periodical medical checkups, treatments, and provision of training and adequate and appropriate personal protective equipment.Systematic review registration: Identifier: CRD42022322827.

Source apportionment based on lead isotope ratios: Could domestic dog's blood lead be used to identify the level and sources of lead pollution in children?

Domestic dogs have been proved to be used as "sentinel organisms" to monitor human lead exposure. However, whether dogs' blood can be used to identify the levels and pollution source of children's lead exposure still needs evidence. To evaluate the potential use of domestic dogs' blood lead as an indicator of lead exposure levels and pollution source of children, accompanying with potential environmental media samples, lead concentrations and isotope ratios (expressed as 207Pb/206Pb, 208Pb/206Pb) in blood were investigated and compared between children and dogs, who came from a Pb-Zn smelter area, a coal fired area and a control area without industrial activity. The results showed that there were significant correlations in blood lead levels (BLLs) between children and dogs in the study areas (p < 0.01). The lead isotope ratios (LIRs) in blood of children and dogs were disparate among the three areas, however, the LIRs of dogs were quite correlated with those of children in each area (p < 0.01). With the comparison of LIRs between potential pollution sources (slag, ore, coal, paint) and blood samples, the identified lead sources based on dogs' blood were found to be coincident with those based on children's blood. Ore smelting and coal combustion were the main sources of lead exposure for the dogs and children in the smelting area, and coal combustion was the predominant source for the children and dogs living in the coal burning area and control area. The results showed that dogs' BLLs might be used to estimate children's BLLs, and blood LIRs measurements of dogs' could be used as an alternative for identifying the sources of children's lead exposure. This study further provided relevant evidence for dogs to be sentinels exposed to human lead exposure and an alternative method for source apportionment of children's lead exposure.

Comparative efficacy of silibinin and nano-silibinin on lead poisoning in Male Wistar rats.

Lead (Pb) is an environmental neurotoxin that can lead to toxicity. It has shown that tissues can be exposed to oxidative stress in lead poisoning. Since silymarin is a natural agent with antioxidant effects, this study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and chelation effects of silibinin and nano-silibinin on the oxidative stress status in lead-poisoned rats. Sixty male Wistar rats randomly divided into ten groups (n = 6). Control and Pb groups treated with or without silibinin and nano-silibinin for six days. Following measuring of weight and blood lead levels, biochemical antioxidant parameters evaluated. Finally, a histopathological examination of the liver performed. In this experiment, silibinin and more efficiently nano-silibinin prevented weight loss and blood lead level elevation induced by lead. Also, they increased the attenuated levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT), total thiol molecules (TTM), glutathione (GSH), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Lead-induced elevation of lipid peroxidation products (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) normalized to the standard level in silibinin and especially nano-silibinin groups. These data suggested that silibinin and especially nano-silibinin can decrease blood lead levels and prevent weight loss and oxidative stress in the lead-poisoned rat's model.

Association Between Blood Lead Level With High Blood Pressure in US (NHANES 1999-2018).

Background: Lead is a toxic metal for human health, but the effect on blood pressure (BP) is still controversial. The object of this study was to demonstrate the association between blood lead levels with BP and hypertension (HTN). Methods: We used the database from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999-2018) to perform a cross-sectional study. We performed multivariate regressions to examine the association between blood lead level with HTN and BP, and then a subgroup analysis was performed. Results: A total of 32,289 participants were included in this study, but no significant difference was found between blood lead levels and HTN. However, the association between blood lead levels with systolic and diastolic pressure became positive. In the subgroup analysis stratified by race, the association between non-Hispanic white and black people still existed. Conclusion: The association between blood lead levels with HTN was not significant, but it was positively associated with BP. Besides, the association between non-Hispanic white and black people was also significant.