OBJECTIVETo detect the mRNA expression of ERK1, ERK2, JNK1 and P38 gene in mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) path way in the arseniasis patients caused by burning coal.

METHODS70 arseniasis patients caused by burning coal at Jiaole village XingRen county in December 2006 were selected as case group, and another 30 villagers with similar living habits, matched gender and age, healthy physical condition without history of burning high arsenic coal were selected as control group from 12 km nearby the same village.Silver diethyl dithiocarbamate method (Ag-DDC) was taken to detect the arsenic contents in the environmental media, food, and arsenic level in the urine and hair of arseniasis patients.On the principle of informed consent, the peripheral blood was collected from the patients. The total RNA was extracted with Trizol method and cDNA was reversed from it. The mRNA expression of ERK1, ERK2, JNK1 and P38 gene in MAPK path way were tested by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (QT-PCR).

RESULTSA total of 70 cases of arseniasis patients (31 cases of mild, 25 cases of moderate and 14 cases of severe) and 30 cases of control were chosen. The median (quartile) of arsenic contents in the indoor air, outdoor air, coal, chili and corn were 0.079 (0.053-0.117) mg/m(3) ,0.007 (0.002-0.015) mg/m(3) , 93.010 (39.460-211.740) mg/kg, 3.460(0.550-16.760) mg/kg and 1.500(0.300-4.140) mg/kg respectively. They were above the national health standards. The median (quartile) of arsenic contents in the soil, rice and drinking water were separately 12.130(4.230-24.820) mg/kg, 0.650(0.300-0.980) mg/kg and 0.043(0.012-0.089)mg/kg, which were within the national health standards. Compared with the control group ((26.97 ± 9.71)µg/g Cr), arsenic level in the patients' urine ((71.48 ± 22.74)µg/g Cr) increased significantly, the differences were significant (F = 90.38, P < 0.01). Compared with the control group ((1.58 ± 1.07)µg/g), arsenic level in the patients' hair ((4.45 ± 2.78) µg/g) increased significantly, the differences were significant (F = 48.22, P < 0.01). The relative expression amount of the median(quartile) for ERK2, JNK1 mRNA were 0.0667 (0.0378-0.1371) and 0.0013 (0.0009-0.0025), respectively. Compared with the control group 0.1744 (0.1009-0.1985) and 0.0022 (0.0017-0.0030) , only the decreases of ERK2, JNK1 mRNA expression was significant (χ(2) = 15.10, 14.25, P < 0.01), and no significance in the other index. ERK2 mRNA relative expression for mild, medium and severe groups were separately 0.0818 (0.0408-0.1509) ,0.0582 (0.0154-0.1699) and 0.0588 (0.0399-0.1034) . Compared with the control group (0.1744 (0.1099-0.1985) ), there was significant difference (Z = -2.89, -3.19, -2.67, P < 0.01). JNK1 mRNA relative expression were 0.0012 (0.0007-0.001 57), 0.0019 (0.0011-0.0035), 0.0013 (0.0010-0.0026), respectively. Compared with the control group (0.0022 (0.0017-0.0030) ), significances were found in the mild groups (Z = -3.72, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSArsenic could induce the changes of ERK2 and JNK1mRNA expression in the MAPK path way in arseniasis patients.It suggests that the MAPK signaling pathway take part in the occurrence and development process of arseniasis caused by burning coal.