The Use of Metabolomics to Identify Biological Signatures of Manganese Exposure.
Baker MG1, Simpson CD1, Lin YS2, Shireman LM2, Seixas N1.
Author information
1
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
2
Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Washington, H272 Health Science Building, Seattle WA 98195, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
Manganese (Mn) is a known neurotoxicant, and given its health effects and ubiquitous nature in metal-working settings, identification of a valid and reproducible biomarker of Mn exposure is of interest. Here, global metabolomics is utilized to determine metabolites that differ between groups defined by Mn exposure status, with the goal being to help inform a potential metabolite biomarker of Mn exposure.

METHODS:
Mn exposed subjects were recruited from a Mn steel foundry and Mn unexposed subjects were recruited from crane operators at a metal recycling facility. Over the course of a work day, each subject wore a personal inhalable dust sampler (IOM), and provided an end of shift urine sample that underwent global metabolomics profiling. Both exposed and unexposed subjects were divided into a training set and demographically similar validation set. Using a two-sided adjusted t-test, relative abundances of all metabolites found were compared between Mn exposed and unexposed training sets, and those with a false discovery rates (FDR) <0.1 were further tested in the validation sets.

RESULTS:
Fifteen ions were found to be significantly different (FDR < 0.1) between the exposed and unexposed training sets, and nine of these ions remained significantly different between the exposed and unexposed validation set as well. When further dividing exposure status into 'lower exposure' and 'higher exposure', several of these nine ions exhibited an apparent exposure-response relationship.

CONCLUSIONS:
This is the first time that metabolomics has been used to distinguish between Mn exposure status in an occupational cohort, though additional work should be done to replicate these findings with a larger cohort. With metabolite identification by name, empirical formula, or pathway, a better understanding of the relationship between Mn exposure and neurotoxic effects could be elucidated, and a potential metabolite biomarker of Mn exposure could be determined.

© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

KEYWORDS:
biomarkers of exposure; exposome; exposure assessment; manganese; metabolomics

Comment in
The Use of High-Resolution Metabolomics in Occupational Exposure and Health Research. [Ann Work Expo Health. 2017]
PMID: 28355443 PMCID: PMC6075188 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxw032

Corrigendum to: The Use of Metabolomics to Identify Biological Signatures of Manganese Exposure

Marissa G Baker; Christopher D Simpson; Yvonne S Lin; Laura M Shireman ; Noah Seixas