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Prenatal Lead Levels, Plasma Amyloid β Levels, and Gene Expression in Young Adulthood.
- Source :
- Environmental Health Perspectives; May2012, Vol. 120 Issue 5, p702-707, 6p, 2 Charts, 2 Graphs
- Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- Background: Animal studies suggest that early-life lead exposure influences gene expression and production of proteins associated with Alzheimerfs disease (AD). Objectives: We attempted to assess the relationship between early-life lead exposure and potential biomarkers for AD among young men and women. We also attempted to assess whether early-life lead exposure was associated with changes in expression of AD-related genes. Methods: We used sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to measure plasma concentrations of amyloid β proteins Aβ<subscript>40</subscript> and Aβ<subscript>42</subscript> among 55 adults who had participated as newborns and young children in a prospective cohort study of the effects of lead exposure on development. We used RNA microarray techniques to analyze gene expression. Results: Mean plasma Aβ<subscript>42</subscript> concentrations were lower among 13 participants with high umbilical cord blood lead concentrations (≥ 10 µg/dL) than in 42 participants with lower cord blood lead concentrations (p = 0.08). Among 10 participants with high prenatal lead exposure, we found evidence of an inverse relationship between umbilical cord lead concentration and expression of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 9 (ADAM9), reticulon 4 (RTN4), and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein associated protein 1 (LRPAP1) genes, whose products are believed to affect Aβ production and deposition. Gene network analysis suggested enrichment in gene sets involved in nerve growth and general cell development. Conclusions: Data from our exploratory study suggest that prenatal lead exposure may influence Aβ-related biological pathways that have been implicated in AD onset. Gene network analysis identified further candidates to study the mechanisms of developmental lead neurotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- GENETICS of Alzheimer's disease
BIOMARKERS
DATABASES
ENZYME-linked immunosorbent assay
CORD blood
GENE expression
LEAD
LONGITUDINAL method
PROTEINS
QUESTIONNAIRES
REGRESSION analysis
RESEARCH
RESEARCH funding
RNA
SPECTRUM analysis
ENVIRONMENTAL exposure
FETAL development
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
FETUS
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00916765
- Volume :
- 120
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 75166953
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104474