Benzene exposure is associated with cardiovascular disease risk

  • Benzene is a ubiquitous, volatile pollutant present at high concentrations in toxins (e.g. tobacco smoke) known to increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Despite its prevalence, the cardiovascular effects of benzene have rarely been studied. Hence, we examined whether exposure to benzene is associated with increased CVD risk. The effects of benzene exposure in mice were assessed by direct inhalation, while the effects of benzene exposure in humans was assessed in 210 individuals with mild to high CVD risk by measuring urinary levels of the benzene metabolite trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA). Generalized linear models were used to assess the association between benzene exposure and CVD risk. Mice inhaling volatile benzene had significantly reduced levels of circulating angiogenic cells (Flk-1+/Sca-1+) as well as an increased levels of plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) compared with control mice breathing filtered air. In the human cohort, urinary levels of t,t-MA were inversely associated several populations of circulating angiogenic cells (CD31+/34+/45+, CD31+/34+/45+/AC133–, CD34+/45+/AC133+). Although t,t-MA was not associated with plasma markers of inflammation or thrombosis, t,t-MA levels were higher in smokers and in individuals with dyslipidemia. In smokers, t,t-MA levels were positively associated with urinary metabolites of nicotine (cotinine) and acrolein (3-hydroxymercapturic acid). Levels of t,t-MA were also associated with CVD risk as assessed using the Framingham Risk Score and this association was independent of smoking. Thus, benzene exposure is associated with increased CVD risk and deficits in circulating angiogenic cells in both smokers and non-smokers.

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Author:Wesley Abplanalp, Natasha DeJarnett, Daniel W. Riggs, Daniel J. Conklin, James P. McCracken, Sanjay Srivastava, Zhengzhi Xie, Shesh Rai, Aruni Bhatnagar, Timothy E. O'Toole
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-438012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183602
ISSN:1932-6203
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28886060
Parent Title (English):PLoS one
Publisher:PLoS
Place of publication:Lawrence, Kan.
Contributor(s):Hiroyoshi Ariga
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2017/09/11
Date of first Publication:2017/09/08
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2017/09/11
Volume:12
Issue:(9): e0183602
Page Number:15
First Page:1
Last Page:15
Note:
Copyright: © 2017 Abplanalp et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
HeBIS-PPN:419786260
Institutes:Medizin / Medizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 4.0