Yong Jae Lee1, In Cheol Hwang2. 1. Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University Yongin Severance Hospital, Yongin, South Korea. 2. Department of Family Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, 1198 Guwoldong, Namdong-gu, Incheon 405-760, South Korea. Electronic address: spfe0211@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Studies on the association between serum ferritin levels (S-Ft) and blood mercury concentrations (B-Hg) are scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between these two parameters using a large-scale nationwide representative sample of the Korean males. METHOD: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between S-Ft and B-Hg in 2832 men over 19 years of age (aged 20-87 years), using data from the 2010-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for high B-Hg (>75th percentile) were calculated across S-Ft quartiles using multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Mean values of B-Hg gradually increased in accordance with the quartiles of S-Ft (P-trend<0.001). The odds ratio (95% CI) for high B-Hg with the doubling of S-Ft was 1.51 (1.25-1.84) after adjusting for age, fish/shellfish consumption, rice consumption, waist circumference, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, regular exercise, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Compared with the lowest quartiles of B-Hg, the ORs (95% CI) for high S-Ft in the 3rd and 4th quartiles were 2.09 (1.17-3.73) and 2.73 (1.55-4.79) after adjusting for the same co-variables. CONCLUSION: We found a positive relationship between S-Ft and B-Hg in a representative population sample of Korean adult men. Our results suggested S-Ft as a tool for environmental Hg exposure assessment.
BACKGROUND: Studies on the association between serum ferritin levels (S-Ft) and blood mercury concentrations (B-Hg) are scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between these two parameters using a large-scale nationwide representative sample of the Korean males. METHOD: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between S-Ft and B-Hg in 2832 men over 19 years of age (aged 20-87 years), using data from the 2010-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for high B-Hg (>75th percentile) were calculated across S-Ft quartiles using multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Mean values of B-Hg gradually increased in accordance with the quartiles of S-Ft (P-trend<0.001). The odds ratio (95% CI) for high B-Hg with the doubling of S-Ft was 1.51 (1.25-1.84) after adjusting for age, fish/shellfish consumption, rice consumption, waist circumference, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, regular exercise, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Compared with the lowest quartiles of B-Hg, the ORs (95% CI) for high S-Ft in the 3rd and 4th quartiles were 2.09 (1.17-3.73) and 2.73 (1.55-4.79) after adjusting for the same co-variables. CONCLUSION: We found a positive relationship between S-Ft and B-Hg in a representative population sample of Korean adult men. Our results suggested S-Ft as a tool for environmental Hg exposure assessment.