Trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokers

Introduction Tobacco smoking is a significant source of cadmium exposure among smokers. Most of inhaled heavy metals, including cadmium, are attached to ultrafine particles (UFPs) surface. A low inhaled UFP content in exhaled breath condensate reflects a high inflammatory status of airways. Increase...

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Main Authors: Einat Fireman Klein, Ilan Klein, Omer Ephrat, Yoram Dekel, Aharon Kessel, Yochai Adir
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-01-01
Series:BMJ Open Respiratory Research
Online Access:https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001000.full
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author Einat Fireman Klein
Ilan Klein
Omer Ephrat
Yoram Dekel
Aharon Kessel
Yochai Adir
author_facet Einat Fireman Klein
Ilan Klein
Omer Ephrat
Yoram Dekel
Aharon Kessel
Yochai Adir
author_sort Einat Fireman Klein
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Tobacco smoking is a significant source of cadmium exposure among smokers. Most of inhaled heavy metals, including cadmium, are attached to ultrafine particles (UFPs) surface. A low inhaled UFP content in exhaled breath condensate reflects a high inflammatory status of airways. Increased respiratory epithelial permeability and translocation to the circulation is the proposed mechanism. UFP recovered from smokers’ airways have high levels of cadmium compared with the airways of non-smokers.Methods Urine was collected from 22 smokers subjects and 43 non-smokers. Samples were analysed for UFP and cadmium content. UFP were measured in urine samples by means of the NanoSight LM20 system (NanoSight, UK). A Niton XL3 X-ray fluorescence spectrometer analyzer (Thermo Fischer Scientific, Germany) quantified heavy metal contents in the urine samples.Results Smokers had elevated UFP and cadmium content in urine compared with non-smokers (4.6 E8/mL and 20.6 ppm vs 3.4 E8/mL and 18.5 ppm, p=0.05 and p=0.05, respectively). Smokers had elevated levels of lead and rubidium compared with non-smokers (8.9 ppm and 27 ppm vs 7.8 ppm and 2 ppm, p=0.05 and p=0.04, respectively)Discussion We suggest that the trajectory of cadmium-related UFP in smokers begins by its inhalation into the airways. The UFPs induce inflammation and oxidative stress in the small airways, are subsequently translocated from the interstitium to the circulation and are finally detected and secreted in urine
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spelling doaj-art-e5f099f82af045798b77a2cd69d527712025-08-20T02:32:49ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Respiratory Research2052-44392021-01-018110.1136/bmjresp-2021-001000Trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokersEinat Fireman Klein0Ilan Klein1Omer Ephrat2Yoram Dekel3Aharon Kessel4Yochai Adir5B. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, IsraelB. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, IsraelB. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, IsraelB. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, IsraelB. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, IsraelB. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, IsraelIntroduction Tobacco smoking is a significant source of cadmium exposure among smokers. Most of inhaled heavy metals, including cadmium, are attached to ultrafine particles (UFPs) surface. A low inhaled UFP content in exhaled breath condensate reflects a high inflammatory status of airways. Increased respiratory epithelial permeability and translocation to the circulation is the proposed mechanism. UFP recovered from smokers’ airways have high levels of cadmium compared with the airways of non-smokers.Methods Urine was collected from 22 smokers subjects and 43 non-smokers. Samples were analysed for UFP and cadmium content. UFP were measured in urine samples by means of the NanoSight LM20 system (NanoSight, UK). A Niton XL3 X-ray fluorescence spectrometer analyzer (Thermo Fischer Scientific, Germany) quantified heavy metal contents in the urine samples.Results Smokers had elevated UFP and cadmium content in urine compared with non-smokers (4.6 E8/mL and 20.6 ppm vs 3.4 E8/mL and 18.5 ppm, p=0.05 and p=0.05, respectively). Smokers had elevated levels of lead and rubidium compared with non-smokers (8.9 ppm and 27 ppm vs 7.8 ppm and 2 ppm, p=0.05 and p=0.04, respectively)Discussion We suggest that the trajectory of cadmium-related UFP in smokers begins by its inhalation into the airways. The UFPs induce inflammation and oxidative stress in the small airways, are subsequently translocated from the interstitium to the circulation and are finally detected and secreted in urinehttps://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001000.full
spellingShingle Einat Fireman Klein
Ilan Klein
Omer Ephrat
Yoram Dekel
Aharon Kessel
Yochai Adir
Trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokers
BMJ Open Respiratory Research
title Trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokers
title_full Trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokers
title_fullStr Trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokers
title_full_unstemmed Trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokers
title_short Trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokers
title_sort trajectory of inhaled cadmium ultrafine particles in smokers
url https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001000.full
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AT yoramdekel trajectoryofinhaledcadmiumultrafineparticlesinsmokers
AT aharonkessel trajectoryofinhaledcadmiumultrafineparticlesinsmokers
AT yochaiadir trajectoryofinhaledcadmiumultrafineparticlesinsmokers