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Arsenic levels in cutaneous appendicular organs are correlated with digitally evaluated hyperpigmented skin of the forehead but not the sole in Bangladesh residents

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 28, pages 64–68 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

There has been no report showing the effect of arsenic level on digitized skin pigmentation level, a typical diagnostic marker for arsenicosis. Correlations among history of drinking well water, arsenic levels in hair and toenails, and digitalized skin pigmentation levels (L*-value) in sunlight-exposed (forehead) and unexposed (sole) skin areas digitally evaluated by using a reflectance spectrophotometer were examined in 150 residents of Bangladesh. Univariate analysis showed that arsenic levels in hair and toenails of subjects with a history of drinking well water were 10.6-fold and 7.1-fold higher, respectively, than those in subjects without a history of drinking well water. The mean L*-value of foreheads, but not that of soles, in subjects with a history of drinking well water was 1.15-fold lower (more pigmented) than that in subjects without a history of drinking well water. Significant correlations were found between duration of drinking well water and arsenic concentrations in hair (r=0.63; P<0.01) and toenails (r=0.60; P<0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that the arsenic levels in hair and toenails and the duration of drinking well water were strongly correlated with the digitized pigmented level of the forehead but not that of the sole. An increase in the duration of drinking well water may increase hyperpigmentation in the forehead, but not that in the sole, through an increased arsenic level in the human body as shown in cutaneous appendicular organs (hair and toenails).

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (15H01743 and 15H02588), (B) (16H02962, 24390157 and 24406002) and (C) (No. 25460178, 25340052, 16K10152, 16K08343), Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research (26670525), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (24108001), COE Project for Private Universities (Nutritional Health Science Research Center; No. S1201007) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Kurita Water and Environment Foundation, the Japan Health Foundation, the Mitsui Environment Fund, Foundation from Center for Advanced Medical and Clinical Research Nagoya University Hospital, The Mitsubishi Foundation, The Research Foundation for Health Sciences (The KENKO-KAGAKU Zaidan), Ichihara International Scholarship Foundation, The Cosmetology Research Foundation, Kao Melanin Workshop and AEON Environmental Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Aichi, Japan

    Ichiro Yajima, MM Aeorangajeb Al Hossain, Masafumi Yoshinaga, Nobutaka Ohgami, Machiko Iida, Reina Oshino & Masashi Kato

  2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto, Kasugai, 487-8501, Aichi, Japan

    Ichiro Yajima, Nobutaka Ohgami, Machiko Iida & Masashi Kato

  3. Voluntary Body for International Health Care in Universities, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Aichi, Japan

    Ichiro Yajima, Nobutaka Ohgami, Machiko Iida, Reina Oshino & Masashi Kato

  4. Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    Nazmul Ahsan & Anwarul Azim Akhand

  5. Department of Preventive Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Aichi, Japan

    Mariko Naito & Kenji Wakai

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  1. Ichiro Yajima
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  10. Kenji Wakai
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  11. Masashi Kato
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Correspondence to Masashi Kato.

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Yajima, I., Ahsan, N., Akhand, A. et al. Arsenic levels in cutaneous appendicular organs are correlated with digitally evaluated hyperpigmented skin of the forehead but not the sole in Bangladesh residents. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 28, 64–68 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2016.70

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2016.70

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