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Hair Mercury Association with Selenium, Serum Lipid Spectrum, and Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Activity in Adults

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Abstract

The primary objective of the research is to estimate the dependence between hair mercury content, hair selenium, mercury-to-selenium ratio, serum lipid spectrum, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity in 63 adults (40 men and 23 women). Serum triglyceride (TG) concentration in the high-mercury group significantly exceeded the values obtained for low- and medium-mercury groups by 72 and 42 %, respectively. Serum GGT activity in the examinees from high-Hg group significantly exceeded the values of the first and the second groups by 75 and 28 %, respectively. Statistical analysis of the male sample revealed similar dependences. Surprisingly, no significant changes in the parameters analyzed were detected in the female sample. In all analyzed samples, hair mercury was not associated with hair selenium concentrations. Significant correlation between hair mercury content and serum TG concentration (r = 0.531) and GGT activity (r = 0.524) in the general sample of the examinees was detected. The respective correlations were observed in the male sample. Hair mercury-to-selenium ratios significantly correlated with body weight (r = 0.310), body mass index (r = 0.250), serum TG (r = 0.389), atherogenic index (r = 0.257), and GGT activity (r = 0.393). The same correlations were observed in the male sample. Hg/Se ratio in women did not correlate with the analyzed parameters. Generally, the results of the current study show the following: (1) hair mercury is associated with serum TG concentration and GGT activity in men, (2) hair selenium content is not related to hair mercury concentration, and (3) mercury-to-selenium ratio correlates with lipid spectrum parameters and GGT activity.

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Acknowledgements

The current research is supported by Russian Ministry of Education and Science within project No. 2014/258-544.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Orenburg State Medical Academy, Sovetskaya St., 6, Orenburg, Russia, 460000

    Alexey A. Tinkov & Alexandr A. Nikonorov

  2. Laboratory of Biotechnology and Applied Bioelementology, P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Sovetskaya St., 14, Yaroslavl, Russia, 150000

    Alexey A. Tinkov & Anatoly V. Skalny

  3. Russian Society of Trace Elements in Medicine, ANO “Centre for Biotic Medicine”, Zemlyanoy Val St. 46, Moscow, Russia, 105064

    Margarita G. Skalnaya, Vasily A. Demidov, Eugeny P. Serebryansky & Anatoly V. Skalny

  4. Institute of Bioelementology (Russian Satellite Centre of Trace Element - Institute for UNESCO), Orenburg State University, Pobedy Ave. 13, Orenburg, Russia, 460352

    Anatoly V. Skalny

Authors
  1. Alexey A. Tinkov
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  2. Margarita G. Skalnaya
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  3. Vasily A. Demidov
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  4. Eugeny P. Serebryansky
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  5. Alexandr A. Nikonorov
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  6. Anatoly V. Skalny
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Correspondence to Alexey A. Tinkov.

Additional information

Alexey A. Tinkov and Margarita G. Skalnaya contributed equally to the current research.

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Tinkov, A.A., Skalnaya, M.G., Demidov, V.A. et al. Hair Mercury Association with Selenium, Serum Lipid Spectrum, and Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Activity in Adults. Biol Trace Elem Res 161, 255–262 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0124-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0124-3

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