A Preliminary Study Exploring the Relationship between Occupational Health Hazards and Gut Microbiota among Firefighters
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Yoo J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10533145 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Despite increasing attention to the occupational risk of firefighters, little is known about phthalate exposure. In our study, we detected mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-n-buthyl phthalate (MnBP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (5cx-MECPP), and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (5oxo-MEHP) in each urine sample. We detected positive association between MnBP, MiBP, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), 5OH-MEHP, 5oxo-MEHP, 5cx-MECPP, mono-isononyl phthalate (MiNP), the sum of low (?LMWP) and high molecular-weight phthalates (?HMWP). and Tiffeneau-Pinelli index (the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1/ forced vital capacity; FEV1/FVC; p = 0.001-0.04) and the percent predicted value (%PV) of FEV1/FVC (p = 0.005-0.05) and negative association between MiNP and peak expiratory flow (PEF; r = -0.31; p = 0.084). We observed a positive association between phthalate metabolites (MnBP, 5OH-MEHP, 5oxo-MEHP, 5cx-MECPP, 2cx-MMHP, ?LMWP, and ?HMWP) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; p = 0.003-0.09) and body shape index (ABSI; p = 0.039-0.09) and a negative association between MnBP, ?LMWP, and hip circumference (p = 0.005-0.02). We detected association between concentrations of 5OH-MEHP, 5cx-MECPP, 5oxo-MEHP, and MnBP and consumption of food heating in plastic material in microwave (p = 0.02-0.04) and between probands who ate margarines and vegetable fat packed in plastic containers and concentration of MMP (p = 0.03). Results of multivariate regression indicated that exposure to phthalates could be linked with changing body structure, which subsequently affects values of pulmonary functions in firefighters.
| S-EPMC7178246 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHyperphosphatemia is a risk factor associated with mortality in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Gut absorption of phosphate is the major source. Recent studies indicated that the intestinal flora of uremic patients changed a lot compared with the healthy population, and phosphorus is an essential element of bacterial survival and reproduction. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of intestinal microbiota in phosphorus metabolism.MethodsA prospective self-control study was performed from October 2015 to January 2016. Microbial DNA was isolated from the stools of 20 healthy controls and 21 maintenance hemodialysis patients. Fourteen out of the 21 patients were treated with lanthanum carbonate for 12 weeks. Thus, stools were also collected before and after the treatment. The bacterial composition was analyzed based on 16S ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing. Bioinformatics tools, including sequence alignment, abundance profiling, and taxonomic diversity, were used in microbiome data analyses. Correlations between genera and the serum phosphorus were detected with Pearson's correlation. For visualization of the internal interactions and further measurement of the microbial community, SparCC was used to calculate the Spearman correlation coefficient with the corresponding P value between each two genera.ResultsThirteen genera closely correlated with serum phosphorus and the correlation coefficient was above 0.4 (P < 0.05). We also found that 58 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were significantly different and more decreased OTUs were identified and seven genera (P < 0.05) were obviously reduced after using the phosphate binder. Meanwhile, the microbial richness and diversity presented downward trend in hemodialysis patients compared with healthy controls and more downward trend after phosphorus reduction. The co-occurrence network of genera revealed that the network complexity of hemodialysis patients was significantly higher than that of controls, whereas treatment with lanthanum carbonate reduced the network complexity.ConclusionsGut flora related to phosphorus metabolism in hemodialysis patients, and improving intestinal microbiota may regulate the absorption of phosphate in the intestine. The use of phosphate binder lanthanum carbonate leads to a tendency of decreasing microbial diversity and lower network complexity.
| S-EPMC6278197 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests a relationship between gut microbiota composition and breast diseases, although the precise nature of this association remains uncertain. To investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota and breast diseases, we utilized two-way Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.MethodsFour common diseases were included as outcomes: breast cancer, breast cysts, inflammatory disorders of the breast, and infections of the breast associated with childbirth, along with their subtypes. Genetic data on gut microbiota were extracted from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The primary approach used to investigate the association between these genetic factors and gut microbiota was the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) method with random-effects types. Sensitivity analyses, such as Cochran's Q test, the MR-Egger intercept test, and leave-one-out analysis, were conducted to ensure the stability and reliability of the MR findings.ResultsWe discovered plausible causal links between 20 microbial categories and the breast diseases, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Notably, Family.Rikenellaceae (p: 0.0013) maintained a significant inverse relationship with overall breast cancer (BC), after the Bonferroni correction. In the reverse MR analysis, interactions were observed between Genus.Adlercreutzia and estrogen receptor-positive cancer. In addition, Genus.Sellimonas, Family.Rikenellaceae, and Genus.Paraprevotella were associated with ER+ and overall breast cancer, whereas Genus.Dorea was linked to both estrogen receptor-negative and overall breast cancer. Family.Prevotellaceae was the only category correlated with inflammatory breast disorders. Moreover, Genus Eubacteriumruminantiumgroup, Genus.Lactococcus, and Family.Alcaligenaceae were associated with breast cysts, while Genus.Anaerofilum, Genus.Butyricimonas, Order.Coriobacteriales, Order.Pasteurellales, and Order.Verrucomicrobiales showed significant associations with infections of the breast associated with childbirth. No evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was found.ConclusionOur Mendelian randomization analysis confirmed a causal relationship between gut microbiota and breast diseases. Early stool tests may be a viable method for screening diseases to identify people at higher risk of breast diseases.
| S-EPMC11654425 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionFirefighters are required to perform physically strenuous tasks such as hose drags, victim rescues, forcible entries and stair climbs to complete their public safety mission. Occupational-specific tasks are often used to evaluate the ability of firefighters to adequately/safely perform their duties. Depending on the regions, occupational-specific tasks include six to eight individual tasks, which emphasize distinct aspects of their physical fitness, while also requiring different levels of cardiovascular (CVH) and musculoskeletal health (MSH). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between specific occupational task performance and measures of physical fitness, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, 282 full-time male and female firefighters were recruited. A researcher-generated questionnaire and physical measures were used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, CVH, MSH and weekly physical activity habits. Physical measures were used to collect data on physical fitness and occupational-specific task performance.ResultsAbsolute cardiorespiratory fitness (abV̇O2max), grip strength, leg strength, push-ups, sit-ups and lean body mass (all p < 0.001) had an inverse association with completion times on all occupational-specific tasks. Age was positively related to the performance of all tasks (all p < 0.05). Higher heart rate variability (HRV) was associated with better performance on all tasks (all p < 0.05). Bodyfat percentage (BF%) and diastolic blood pressure were positively associated with the step-up task (p < 0.05). Lower back musculoskeletal injury (LoBMSI), musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD), and lower limb MSD were associated with a decreased odds of passing the step-up. Upper body MSIs (UBMSI), LoBMSIs and Lower back MSD were associated with decreased odds of passing the rescue drag.ConclusionFirefighters that were taller, leaner, stronger and fitter with a more favourable CVH profile, higher HRV and less musculoskeletal discomfort performed best on all occupational-specific tasks.
| S-EPMC10763081 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The prevalence of overweight and obesity among tactical populations is estimated at 70%-75%, which may negatively impact health and performance. The relationship between BMI and health and performance is well established among the general population, however, literature on such relationships among tactical populations has yet to be reviewed and evaluated. The purpose of this study was to systematically review available literature on the relationship between BMI and health and occupational performance among law enforcement officer, firefighters, and military personnel. After reviewing the literature, 27 articles were included. Nine studies found BMI was positively associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Studies involving BMI and cancer were lacking. One study found BMI was positively associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) risk. Five studies on occupational/physical performance and 12 studies on injury found a higher BMI was often indicative of decreased performance and increased risk of injury in general, but protective against stress fractures. Overall, higher BMI was often associated with negative health and performance outcomes among tactical populations, especially when beyond the overweight classification. Public health practitioners should focus efforts on improving nutrition and physical activity to promote a healthy BMI among these individuals.
| S-EPMC10100923 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Accumulating evidence indicates a correlation between gut microbiota (GM) and atopic dermatitis (AD). Nevertheless, the causal relationship between specific pathogenic bacterial taxa and AD remains uncertain. This investigation utilized a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the causal association between GM and AD, identifying the most influential GM taxa. An MR study was conducted utilizing summary statistics derived from genome-wide association studies encompassing 207 GM taxa and their association with AD risk. The genome-wide association studies summary statistics for 207 GM taxa (from phylum to species level) were generated by the Dutch Microbiome Project. The genetic variants (P < 1 × 10-5) correlated with GM (n = 7738) were identified from this investigation. Additionally, 4 supplementary MR approaches, simple mode, MR-Egger, weighted mode, and weighted median, supported the inverse-variance weighted approach. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses were executed using leave-one-out analysis, Cochran Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier global test, and MR Steiger test. The MR analysis identified 17 distinct bacterial taxa involving 2 orders, 4 families, 5 genera, and 6 species. The inverse-variance weighted method demonstrated that 6 bacterial taxa were positively associated with AD. These taxa included the order Pasteurellales, family Burkholderiales noname, family Pasteurellaceae, genus Burkholderiales noname, species Burkholderiales bacterium_1_1_47, and species Desulfovibrio piger. Eleven bacterial taxa were negatively associated with AD, comprising the order Actinomycetales, family Micrococcaceae, family Oscillospiraceae, genus Rothia, genus Collinsella, genus Oscillibacter, genus Pseudoflavonifractor, species Oscillibacter_unclassified, species Roseburia hominis, species R mucilaginosa, and species Parabacteroides merdae. Moreover, the MR-Egger intercept test and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier global test validated that the MR analysis remained unaffected by horizontal pleiotropy (P > .05). Furthermore, the leave-one-out analysis contributed to validating the robustness of the outcomes. Finally, an MR Steiger directionality test confirmed the assessment of potential causal direction (P < .001). This investigation identified specific intestinal flora causally associated with AD risk, offering novel insights for future investigations and innovative avenues for AD diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and prognostic assessment.
| S-EPMC11688022 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and objectivesDue to the high individual variability of anticoagulant warfarin, this study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin K concentration and gut microbiota on individual variability of warfarin in 246 cardiac surgery patients.MethodsThe pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PKPD) model predicted INR and warfarin concentration. Serum and fecal samples were collected to detect warfarin and vitamin K (VK1 and menaquinone-4 (MK4)) concentrations and gut microbiota diversity, respectively. In addition, the patient's medical records were reviewed for demographic characteristics, drug history, and CYP2C9, VKORC1, and CYP4F2 genotypes.ResultsThe PKPD model predicted ideal values of 62.7% for S-warfarin, 70.4% for R-warfarin, and 76.4% for INR. The normal VK1 level was 1.34±1.12 nmol/mL (95% CI: 0.33-4.08 nmol/mL), and the normal MK4 level was 0.22±0.18 nmol/mL (95% CI: 0.07-0.63 nmol/mL). The MK4 to total vitamin K ratio was 16.5±9.8% (95% CI: 4.3-41.5%). The S-warfarin concentration of producing 50% of maximum anticoagulation and the half-life of prothrombin complex activity tended to increase with vitamin K. Further, Prevotella and Eubacterium of gut microbiota identified as the main bacteria associated with individual variability of warfarin. The results suggest that an increase in vitamin K concentration can decrease anticoagulation, and gut microbiota may influence warfarin anticoagulation through vitamin K2 synthesis.ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of considering vitamin K concentration and gut microbiota when prescribing warfarin. The findings may have significant implications for the personalized use of warfarin. Further research is needed to understand better the role of vitamin K and gut microbiota in warfarin anticoagulation.
| S-EPMC10720796 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The study investigates the causal relationship between gut microbes and female genital tract polyps, exploring the potential mediating role of immune cells via Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Our MR study was designed following the STROBE-MR guidelines. We combined data from a large-scale GWAS meta-analysis, including 731 immune profiles and female genital tract polyps, with gut microbiology data sourced from the MiBioGen consortium. Univariate Mendelian randomization was employed to identify gut microbes and immune profiles significantly associated with female genital tract polyps causally. A 2-step MR analysis was utilized to investigate the potential mediating role of immune cells. Furthermore, we utilized the multivariable MR approach based on Bayesian model averaging (MR-BMA) to further assess the prioritization of gut microbiota vs immune characteristics in the development of female genital tract polyps. Through univariate MR analysis, we identified a significant causal link between 12 gut microbiota, 31 immune features, and female genital tract polyps. Four causal pathways involving gut microbiota, immune cells, and polyps were identified among them. MR-BMA analysis indicated marginal inclusion probability (MIP) values exceeding 0.1 for 5 gut microbiota groups: Victivallaceae (model-averaged causal estimate [MACE] = 0.060, MIP = 0.581, P = .0089), Ruminococcus gautreuii (MACE = 0.052, MIP = 0.346, P = .0640), Lachnoclostrium (MACE = 0.0380, MIP = 0.225, P = .1875), Alphaprobacter (MACE = 0.0186, MIP = 0.140, P = .3934), and Fusicatenibacter (MACE = 0.013, MIP = 0.110, P = .5818). Six immune features exhibit high priority, with MIP values exceeding 0.5, including HLA DR on CD33+ HLA DR+ CD14dim (MACE = -0.015, MIP = 0.753, P = .0853), HVEM on naive CD4+ T cell (MACE = 0.024, MIP = 0.737, P = .0053), CD80 on CD62L+ plastic cytoplasmic dendritic cell (MACE = 0.024, MIP = 0.721, P = .0228), CD28 on activated and secret CD4 regulatory T cell (MACE = 0.0054, MIP = 0.706, P = .3245), HLA DR on CD14+ CD16 monocyte (MACE = -0.0003, MIP = 0.520, P = .7927), HLA DR on CD14+ monocyte (MACE = -0.0029, MIP = 0.509, P = .5576). Our research indicates that gut microbiota exerts an independent causal influence on female genital tract polyps, potentially impacting them via various immune cells.
| S-EPMC11630997 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Firefighters are exposed to toxic chemicals not only from the fire incidents they attend, but also from their contaminated station and/or personal protective equipment (PPE). Little is currently known about firefighters' awareness, attitudes, and behaviours towards contaminants which was assessed in the UK firefighter contamination survey. Results revealed that lack of training on fire effluents and their health outcomes are strongly associated with increased fire smoke/contaminant exposure. Notably, untrained firefighters were at least twice as likely to: never clean personal protective equipment (PPE) (Crude Odds Ratio, OR 2.0, 1.5-2.7), infrequently send their PPE for professional cleaning (OR 2.0, 1.6-2.4), remain in the workwear (t-shirt etc.) worn while attending a fire incident (OR up to 3.6, 2.3-5.6), and indicate that cleaning at fire stations is not taken seriously (OR 2.4, 2.2-2.6). Firefighters personally viewing contamination as a "badge of honour" (BoH) were at least twice as likely to: remain in contaminated PPE after fire incidents (OR 2.3, 1.4-3.9), eat with sooty hands (OR 2.2, 1.9-2.5), notice soot in the nose/throat (OR 3.7, 2.7-5.2), and smell fire smoke on the body for more than a day after incidents (OR 2.0, 1.6-2.4). They were also more likely to indicate that cleaning at fire stations is not taken seriously (OR 2.5, 2.2-2.9) and that fire stations smell of smoke always/most of the time (OR 2.3, 2.0-2.6). Strong links were also found between belief in the BoH and never cleaning PPE (OR 1.9, 1.4-2.7), and eating while wearing contaminated PPE (OR 1.8, 1.5-2.2).
| S-EPMC9832120 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHuman gut microbiome has complex relationships with the host, contributing to metabolism, immunity, and carcinogenesis.MethodsSummary-level data for gut microbiota and metabolites were obtained from MiBioGen, FINRISK and human metabolome consortia. Summary-level data for colorectal cancer were derived from a genome-wide association study meta-analysis. In forward Mendelian randomization (MR), we employed genetic instrumental variables (IV) for 24 gut microbiota taxa and six bacterial metabolites to examine their causal relationship with colorectal cancer. We also used a lenient threshold for nine apriori gut microbiota taxa as secondary analyses. In reverse MR, we explored association between genetic liability to colorectal neoplasia and abundance of microbiota studied above using 95, 19, and 7 IVs for colorectal cancer, adenoma, and polyps, respectively.ResultsForward MR did not find evidence indicating causal relationship between any of the gut microbiota taxa or six bacterial metabolites tested and colorectal cancer risk. However, reverse MR supported genetic liability to colorectal adenomas was causally related with increased abundance of two taxa: Gammaproteobacteria (β = 0.027, which represents a 0.027 increase in log-transformed relative abundance values of Gammaproteobacteria for per one-unit increase in log OR of adenoma risk; P = 7.06×10-8), Enterobacteriaceae (β = 0.023, P = 1.29×10-5).ConclusionsWe find genetic liability to colorectal neoplasia may be associated with abundance of certain microbiota taxa. It is more likely that subset of colorectal cancer genetic liability variants changes gut biology by influencing both gut microbiota and colorectal cancer risk.ImpactThis study highlights the need of future complementary studies to explore causal mechanisms linking both host genetic variation with gut microbiome and colorectal cancer susceptibility.
| S-EPMC10233354 | biostudies-literature