Mediating role of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mild cognitive impairment
- VernacularTitle:中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比例在多环芳烃和轻度认知功能障碍关系中的中介作用
- Author:
Yifei MA
1
;
Xiyuan YAO
1
;
Huimin WANG
1
;
Mengmeng FU
1
;
Jisheng NIE
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Selectedarticle
- Keywords: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio; mild cognitive impairment; mediating effect
- From: Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2023;40(8):884-891
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: Background As a group of environmental pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are neurotoxic and may cause mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by inducing inflammation. Whether neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an inflammatory indicator, plays a mediating role in the relationship between PAHs exposure and MCI is unclear yet. Objective To investigate a potential mediating role of NLR in the association between exposure to PAHs and MCI in coke oven plant workers. Methods Eleven urine hydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs) of 530 coke oven plant workers were determined by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. NLR was derived from participants' routine blood examination results using a fully automated haematology analyser. The associations between urinary OH-PAHs and MCI were analyzed by binary logistic regression, the associations between urinary OH-PAHs and NLR were analyzed by multiple linear regression, and the role of NLR in the relationship between urinary OH-PAHs and MCI was evaluated by mediating effect analysis. Results After controlling for confounding factors and other OH-PAHs, the results of binary logistic regression showed that for every e-fold (e is the base of the natural logarithm) increase in the concentration of 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNap) and 1-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-OHPhe), the OR (95%CI) values of reporting MCI positive were 1.21 (1.02, 1.43) and 1.25 (1.04, 1.51) respectively. For each unit increase of NLR, the OR (95%CI) of reporting MCI positive was 1.56 (1.12, 2.18). The results of multiple linear regression showed that each unit increase in natural log-transformed levels of 1-OHPhe was associated with 0.05 (95%CI: 0.01, 0.10) increase of NLR. The results of mediating effect analysis showed that the association between urinary 1-OHPhe and MCI was partially mediated by peripheral blood NLR, with a mediation ratio of 9.8%. Conclusion Exposure to PAHs in coke oven plant workers may increase the risk of reporting MCI positive partially through increased NLR in peripheral blood.
