2024-08-06 13:43:18
People too high levels of iron in the blood and urine It is more likely to be diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and die from it, suggests a study led by the University of Michigan (UM).
Researchers know that ALS, a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease, is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including exposure to pesticides and metals.
This new study, whose results were published in the ‘Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry’, examined iron levels in the blood and urine of people with and without ALS, and found that exposure to individual metals and their combinations are associated with an increased risk of ALS and short life.
“Increasing our understanding of the importance of iron exposure as a risk factor for ALS is essential for future prevention targeting the disease and improving therapeutic strategies,” lead author Stephen Goutman, director of the Pranger ALS Clinic and partner of the House- ALS program of Excellence at the University of Michigan. “Many epidemiological studies have linked exposure to metals with ALS risk. However, it is important that we understand how these iron compounds relate to ALS risk and survival, and identify who is at greatest risk of exposure or who is susceptible to exposure,” he added.
Goutman’s group measured iron levels in plasma and urine samples from more than 450 people with ALS and nearly 300 people without the disease. They found that elevated levels of individual metals, as well Copper, selenium and zincis significantly associated with a higher risk of ALS and early death.
They used these results to create ALS environmental risk scores, which indicate that iron concentrations in plasma and urine are linked to up to three times the risk of developing the disease.
In this study, the inclusion of a polygenic ALS risk score to examine the possible moderating effect of genetic factors did not alter the association between iron exposure and disease risk or survival.
“While many studies suggest that environmental factors such as metals interact with genetic variations to influence the onset, progression and severity of ALS, our study found that considering polygenic ALS risk scores did not influence the relationship between exposure to metals and ALS. “The relationships between genes and the environment involved in disease risk are complex, and future knowledge about other genetic factors or pathways that may be involved in ALS risk and iron metabolism may improve our understanding,” said author- said Kelly Bakulski, associate professor of epidemiology. at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
The researchers also found that participants who worked in jobs with a higher probability of iron exposure had higher levels of iron compounds in their blood and urine. This is consistent with a previous study by the research team that found that people with ALS reported greater occupational exposure to metals before being diagnosed.
“These findings underscore the need for consider task and environmental factors when assessing a person’s overall exposure risk,” said first author Dae Gyu Jang, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Dermatology at UM Health.
Goutman says that by avoiding high-risk activities associated with metal exposure, people can reduce their overall exposure and potentially reduce risk. “Our future research will focus more on which exposures have the strongest associations and their effects for disease,” he concluded.
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