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Association of plasma folate, vitamin B12 levels, and arsenic methylation capacity with developmental delay in preschool children in Taiwan

  • Inorganic Compounds
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Abstract

Developmental delay has been associated with inefficient arsenic methylation capacity in preschool children. Folate and vitamin B12 are important nutrients that produce s-adenosylmethionine during single-carbon metabolism and provide methyl groups for arsenic methylation. The aim of the present study was to explore whether plasma folate and vitamin B12 levels influence arsenic methylation capacity and in turn are related to developmental delay in preschool children. A case–control study was conducted in 178 children with developmental delay and 88 normal children, who were recruited from Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Teaching Hospital from August 2010 to March 2014. Arsenite (AsIII), arsenate (AsV), monomethylarsonic acid (MMAV), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAV) in the urine was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-linked hydride generator and atomic absorption spectrometry. Plasma folate and vitamin B12 levels were measured using a SimulTRAC-SNB radioassay. The results show that the combination of high plasma folate and high vitamin B12 levels were correlated with efficient arsenic methylation capacity (low MMAV %, low InAs %, and high DMAV %). High MMAV % significantly increased and high DMAV % and secondary methylation index decreased the odds ratio (OR) of developmental delay in a dose-dependent manner in both low plasma folate and low vitamin B12 (low/low) groups; the multivariate OR and 95% confidence interval were 5.01 (0.83–30.06), 0.21 (0.04–1.23), and 0.20 (0.03–1.20), respectively. This is the first study to show that the combination of high plasma folate and high vitamin B12 levels increases arsenic methylation capacity and indirectly decreases the OR of developmental delay in preschool children.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the assistance with the recruitment of study subjects provided by Drs. Tseng-Chen Sung, Cheng Hui Lin, and Ling-Jen Wang of the Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital. The present study was supported by grants from Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (SKH-TMU-102-10, SKH-TMU-100-06, and SKH-TMU-99-03), the National Science Council (NSC 100-2314-B-038 -026, NSC 101-2314-B-038 -051-MY3 (1-3), NSC 101-2314-B-038 -051-MY3 (2-3), NSC 101-2314-B-038 -051-MY3 (3-3)), and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China (MOST103-2314-B-038-021-MY2 (1-2), MOST103-2314-B-038-021-MY2 (2-2), MOST 105-2314-B-038-082, MOST 106-2314-B-038-066, and MOST 107-2314-B-038-073).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan

    Ying-Chin Lin & Yu-Mei Hsueh

  2. Department of Health Examination, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ying-Chin Lin

  3. Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ying-Chin Lin

  4. Department of Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ying-Chin Lin

  5. Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Chi-Jung Chung

  6. Department of Medical Research, China Medical University and Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

    Chi-Jung Chung

  7. Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ya-Li Huang & Yu-Mei Hsueh

  8. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ru-Lan Hsieh

  9. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ru-Lan Hsieh

  10. Department of Occupational Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Pai-Tsang Huang

  11. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Mei-Yi Wu

  12. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan

    Mei-Yi Wu

  13. School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Pui-Lam Ao, Shiau-Rung Huang & Chien-Tien Su

  14. Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Horng-Sheng Shiue

  15. Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chien-Tien Su

  16. Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ming-I Lin & Shu-Chi Mu

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Lin, YC., Chung, CJ., Huang, YL. et al. Association of plasma folate, vitamin B12 levels, and arsenic methylation capacity with developmental delay in preschool children in Taiwan. Arch Toxicol 93, 2535–2544 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-019-02540-4

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