TY - JOUR
T1 - Chromium-mediated hyperpigmentation of skin in male tannery workers in Bangladesh
AU - Al Hossain, M. M.Aeorangajeb
AU - Yajima, Ichiro
AU - Tazaki, Akira
AU - Xu, Huadong
AU - Saheduzzaman, Md
AU - Ohgami, Nobutaka
AU - Ahsan, Nazmul
AU - Akhand, Anwarul Azim
AU - Kato, Masashi
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (16H01639 and 18H04975), Research Activity start-up (18H06125) and Scientific Research (A) (15H01743, 15H02588 and 19H01147), (B) (16H02962 and 17KT0033) and (C) (16K11177, 16K10152 and 17K09156) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ( MEXT ), Mirai-Program Small Start Type from the Japan Science and Technology Agency , Foundation for the Vitamin & Biofactor Society, AEON Environmental Foundation, Kobayashi International Scholarship Foundation and Foundation from Center for Advanced Medical and Clinical Research Nagoya University Hospital. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (16H01639 and 18H04975), Research Activity start-up (18H06125)and Scientific Research (A)(15H01743, 15H02588 and 19H01147), (B)(16H02962 and 17KT0033)and (C)(16K11177, 16K10152 and 17K09156)from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Mirai-Program Small Start Type from the Japan Science and Technology Agency, Foundation for the Vitamin & Biofactor Society, AEON Environmental Foundation, Kobayashi International Scholarship Foundation and Foundation from Center for Advanced Medical and Clinical Research Nagoya University Hospital. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019
PY - 2019/8
Y1 - 2019/8
N2 - Since tannery workers in developing countries are chronically exposed to high levels of chromium (Cr), there are serious concerns about health problems. However, there has been limited study in which Cr levels were measured in tannery workers, who are chronically exposed to Cr. Our preliminary inspection showed that there was hyperpigmented skin in tannery workers. We therefore investigated the correlation between skin pigmentation levels digitally evaluated as L* values by using a reflectance spectrophotometer and Cr levels in skin appendages in 100 male tannery workers and in 49 male non-tannery workers in Bangladesh. Digitalized skin pigmentation levels of the face and feet in addition to Cr levels in hair and toenails in tannery workers were significantly higher than those in non-tannery workers in our univariate analysis. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis showed significant correlation between duration of tannery work (years)and Cr levels in hair (r = 0.62)and toenails (r = 0.61). Our multivariate analysis also showed that Cr levels in hair and toenails were significantly correlated with digitalized skin pigmentation levels of the face and feet in addition to duration of tannery work in all participants. Thus, our results showed the development of hyperpigmented skin in tannery workers. Our results also suggested that hyperpigmented skin could be a useful diagnostic marker for chronic exposure to Cr. Furthermore, cutaneous L* value might be a convenient marker for detection of chronic Cr poisoning, since the digitalized values enable objective evaluation of skin pigmented levels by general people as well as dermatologists.
AB - Since tannery workers in developing countries are chronically exposed to high levels of chromium (Cr), there are serious concerns about health problems. However, there has been limited study in which Cr levels were measured in tannery workers, who are chronically exposed to Cr. Our preliminary inspection showed that there was hyperpigmented skin in tannery workers. We therefore investigated the correlation between skin pigmentation levels digitally evaluated as L* values by using a reflectance spectrophotometer and Cr levels in skin appendages in 100 male tannery workers and in 49 male non-tannery workers in Bangladesh. Digitalized skin pigmentation levels of the face and feet in addition to Cr levels in hair and toenails in tannery workers were significantly higher than those in non-tannery workers in our univariate analysis. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis showed significant correlation between duration of tannery work (years)and Cr levels in hair (r = 0.62)and toenails (r = 0.61). Our multivariate analysis also showed that Cr levels in hair and toenails were significantly correlated with digitalized skin pigmentation levels of the face and feet in addition to duration of tannery work in all participants. Thus, our results showed the development of hyperpigmented skin in tannery workers. Our results also suggested that hyperpigmented skin could be a useful diagnostic marker for chronic exposure to Cr. Furthermore, cutaneous L* value might be a convenient marker for detection of chronic Cr poisoning, since the digitalized values enable objective evaluation of skin pigmented levels by general people as well as dermatologists.
KW - Chromium exposure
KW - Diagnostic marker
KW - Hazaribagh-Bangladesh
KW - Hyperpigmented skin
KW - L value
KW - Tannery worker
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U2 - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.04.112
DO - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.04.112
M3 - Article
C2 - 31102916
AN - SCOPUS:85065551591
SN - 0045-6535
VL - 229
SP - 611
EP - 617
JO - Chemosphere
JF - Chemosphere
ER -