Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Blood levels of lead and mercury and celiac disease seropositivity: the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease with increasing prevalence in the USA. CD leads to decreased absorption of many nutrients including certain divalent metals. On the other hand, recent cross-sectional studies suggest the associations between trace heavy metal exposure and autoimmunity. We aimed to determine if there is an association between CD autoimmunity and blood levels of heavy metals in the general US population. We used nationally representative data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2012. Our study comprised 3643 children (ages 6–17 years) and 11,040 adults (age ≥18 years). Children with CD seropositivity had significantly lower blood lead (0.56 versus 0.80 μg/dL, P = 0.001) and mercury levels (0.47 versus 0.64 μg/L, P = 0.001). In the linear regression model, CD seropositivity was associated with lower levels of blood lead and mercury in children (β = −0.14, P = 0.03 for lead and β = −0.22, P = 0.008 for mercury), but not in adults. These findings of CD-heavy metals association are, to our knowledge, novel, and we conclude that decreased levels of heavy metals in blood are most likely a consequence of CD in the US children.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berk M, Williams LJ, Andreazza AC, Pasco JA, Dodd S, Jacka FN, Moylan S, Reiner EJ, Magalhaes PV (2014) Pop, heavy metal and the blues: secondary analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POP), heavy metals and depressive symptoms in the NHANES National Epidemiological Survey. BMJ Open 4:e005142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breton J, Daniel C, Dewulf J, Pothion S, Froux N, Sauty M, Thomas P, Pot B, Foligne B (2013) Gut microbiota limits heavy metals burden caused by chronic oral exposure. Toxicol Lett 222:132–138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caruso R, Pallone F, Stasi E, Romeo S, Monteleone G (2013) Appropriate nutrient supplementation in celiac disease. Ann Med 45:522–531

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clarkson TW, Magos L, Myers GJ (2003) The toxicology of mercury—current exposures and clinical manifestations. N Engl J Med 349:1731–1737

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cojocaru M, Chicos B (2014) The role of heavy metals in autoimmunity. Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine = Revue Roumaine de Medecine Interne 52:189–191

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • deSilva PE (1984) Blood lead levels and the haematocrit correction. The Annals of Occupational Hygiene 28:417–428

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietert RR, Zelikoff JT (2010) Identifying patterns of immune-related disease: use in disease prevention and management. World Journal of Pediatrics : WJP 6:111–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyer AA, Rivkina V, Perumal D, Smeltzer BM, Smith BM, Gupta RS (2015) Epidemiology of childhood peanut allergy. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings 36:58–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elli L, Rossi V, Conte D, Ronchi A, Tomba C, Passoni M, Bardella MT, Roncoroni L, Guzzi G (2015) Increased mercury levels in patients with celiac disease following a gluten-free regimen. Gastroenterol Res Pract 2015:953042

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman HJ (2015) Iron deficiency anemia in celiac disease. World J Gastroenterol 21:9233–9238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hannaway PJ, Connelly ME, Cobbett RM, Dobrow PJ (2005) Differences in race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in schoolchildren dispensed injectable epinephrine in 3 Massachusetts school districts. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology 95:143–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janicka M, Binkowski LJ, Blaszczyk M, Paluch J, Wojtas W, Massanyi P, Stawarz R (2015) Cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations and their influence on morphological parameters in blood donors from different age groups from southern Poland. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology: Organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements 29:342–346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jansson SA, Protudjer JL, Arnlind Heibert M, Bengtsson U, Kallstrom-Bengtsson I, Marklund B, Middelveld RJ, Rentzos G, Sundqvist AC, Akerstrom J, Ostblom E, Dahlen SE, Ahlstedt S (2014) Socioeconomic evaluation of well-characterized allergy to staple foods in adults. Allergy 69:1241–1247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahn LG, Liu X, Rajovic B, Popovac D, Oberfield S, Graziano JH, Factor-Litvak P (2014) Blood lead concentration and thyroid function during pregnancy: results from the Yugoslavia Prospective Study of Environmental Lead Exposure. Environ Health Perspect 122:1134–1140

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khalid AN, McMains KC (2016) Gluten sensitivity: fact or fashion statement? Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery 24:238–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim BM, Choi AL, Ha EH, Pedersen L, Nielsen F, Weihe P, Hong YC, Budtz-Jorgensen E, Grandjean P (2014) Effect of hemoglobin adjustment on the precision of mercury concentrations in maternal and cord blood. Environ Res 132:407–412

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leonard MM, Camhi S, Huedo-Medina TB, Fasano A (2015) Celiac Disease Genomic, Environmental, Microbiome, and Metabolomic (CDGEMM) Study Design: approach to the future of personalized prevention of celiac disease. Nutrients 7:9325–9336

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lepow ML, Bruckman L, Gillette M, Markowitz S, Robino R, Kapish J (1975) Investigations into sources of lead in the environment of urban children. Environ Res 10:415–426

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ludvigsson JF et al (2014) Diagnosis and management of adult coeliac disease: guidelines from the British Society of Gastroenterology. Gut 63:1210–1228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lundh T, Axmon A, Skerfving S, Broberg K (2016) Cadmium and mercury exposure over time in Swedish children. Environ Res 150:600–605

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marasco G, Di Biase AR, Schiumerini R, Eusebi LH, Iughetti L, Ravaioli F, Scaioli E, Colecchia A, Festi D (2016) Gut microbiota and celiac disease. Dig Dis Sci 61:1461–1472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mardini HE, Westgate P, Grigorian AY (2015) Racial differences in the prevalence of celiac disease in the US population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2012. Dig Dis Sci 60:1738–1742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morales ME, Derbes RS, Ade CM, Ortego JC, Stark J, Deininger PL, Roy-Engel AM (2016) Heavy metal exposure influences double strand break DNA repair outcomes. PLoS One 11:e0151367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mostafa GA, Bjorklund G, Urbina MA, Al-Ayadhi LY (2016) The levels of blood mercury and inflammatory-related neuropeptides in the serum are correlated in children with autism spectrum disorder. Metab Brain Dis 31:593–599

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen SJ, Kit BK, Aoki Y, Ogden CL (2014) Seafood consumption and blood mercury concentrations in adults aged ≥20 y, 2007-2010. Am J Clin Nutr 99:1066–1070

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen SJ, Aoki Y, Kit BK, Ogden CL (2015) More than half of US youth consume seafood and most have blood mercury concentrations below the EPA reference level, 2009-2012. J Nutr 145:322–327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pirkle JL, Brody DJ, Gunter EW, Kramer RA, Paschal DC, Flegal KM, Matte TD (1994) The decline in blood lead levels in the United States. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). JAMA 272:284–291

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rubio-Tapia A, Ludvigsson JF, Brantner TL, Murray JA, Everhart JE (2012) The prevalence of celiac disease in the United States. Am J Gastroenterol 107:1538–1544 quiz 1537, 1545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh VK, Mishra KP, Rani R, Yadav VS, Awasthi SK, Garg SK (2003) Immunomodulation by lead. Immunol Res 28:151–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Theethira TG, Dennis M, Leffler DA (2014) Nutritional consequences of celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 8:123–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu J, Wen XW, Faulk C, Boehnke K, Zhang H, Dolinoy DC, Xi C (2016a) Perinatal lead exposure alters gut microbiota composition and results in sex-specific bodyweight increases in adult mice. Toxicological Sciences: an Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology 151:324–333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu X, Cobbina SJ, Mao G, Xu H, Zhang Z, Yang L (2016b) A review of toxicity and mechanisms of individual and mixtures of heavy metals in the environment. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 23:8244–8259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yeter D, Portman MA, Aschner M, Farina M, Chan WC, Hsieh KS, Kuo HC (2016): Ethnic Kawasaki disease risk associated with blood mercury and cadmium in U.S. children. Int J Environ Res Public Health 13:1–14

Download references

Acknowledgements

Elena Kamycheva has received the financial support from the Medical Clinic, University Hospital of North Norway, Sykehusveien 38, 9038 Tromsoe, Norway.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, 125 Nashua St, Suite 920, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Elena Kamycheva, Tadahiro Goto & Carlos A. Camargo Jr

  2. Medical Clinic, University Hospital of North Norway, Sykehusveien 38, 9038, Tromsoe, Norway

    Elena Kamycheva

  3. Endocrine Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, 9017, Tromsoe, Norway

    Elena Kamycheva

  4. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Tadahiro Goto & Carlos A. Camargo Jr

Authors
  1. Elena Kamycheva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tadahiro Goto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carlos A. Camargo Jr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elena Kamycheva.

Ethics declarations

Source of funding

E.K. received financial support from the Medical Clinic, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsoe, Norway.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kamycheva, E., Goto, T. & Camargo, C.A. Blood levels of lead and mercury and celiac disease seropositivity: the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 8385–8391 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8545-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8545-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation