Protective effects of B vitamins and antioxidants on the risk of arsenic-related skin lesions in Bangladesh.

Publisher: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0330411 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 0091-6765 (Print) Linking ISSN: 00916765 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Environ Health Perspect Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Research Triangle Park, N. C. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Arsenic*; Antioxidants/*pharmacology ; Precancerous Conditions/*prevention & control ; Skin Diseases/*prevention & control ; Vitamin B Complex/*pharmacology; Adult ; Antioxidants/administration & dosage ; Ascorbic Acid/administration & dosage ; Ascorbic Acid/pharmacology ; Bangladesh ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precancerous Conditions/chemically induced ; Risk Factors ; Skin Diseases/chemically induced ; Vitamin A/administration & dosage ; Vitamin A/pharmacology ; Vitamin B Complex/administration & dosage ; Vitamin E/administration & dosage ; Vitamin E/pharmacology

Background: An estimated 25-40 million of the 127 million people of Bangladesh have been exposed to high levels of naturally occurring arsenic from drinking groundwater. The mitigating effects of diet on arsenic-related premalignant skin lesions are largely unknown.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of the vitamin B group (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, and cobalamin) and antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E) on arsenic-related skin lesions.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS), 2000-2002, with individual-level, time-weighted measures of arsenic exposure from drinking water. A total of 14,828 individuals meeting a set of eligibility criteria were identified among 65,876 users of all 5,996 tube wells in the 25-km(2) area of Araihazar, Bangladesh; 11,746 were recruited into the study. This analysis is based on 10,628 subjects (90.5%) with nonmissing dietary data. Skin lesions were identified according to a structured clinical protocol during screening and confirmed with further clinical review.
Results: Riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic acid, and vitamins A, C, and E significantly modified risk of arsenic-related skin lesions. The deleterious effect of ingested arsenic, at a given exposure level, was significantly reduced (ranging from 46% reduction for pyridoxine to 68% for vitamin C) for persons in the highest quintiles of vitamin intake.
Conclusions: Intakes of B-vitamins and antioxidants, at doses greater than the current recommended daily amounts for the country, may reduce the risk of arsenic-related skin lesions in Bangladesh.

Erratum in: Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Oct;116(10):A421.

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R01CA102484 United States CA NCI NIH HHS; R01 CA107431 United States CA NCI NIH HHS; P30ES09089 United States ES NIEHS NIH HHS; R01CA107431 United States CA NCI NIH HHS; R01 CA102484 United States CA NCI NIH HHS; P30 ES009089 United States ES NIEHS NIH HHS; P42 ES010349 United States ES NIEHS NIH HHS; 2P42 ES10349-06 United States ES NIEHS NIH HHS

Keywords: B vitamins; Bangladesh; antioxidants; arsenic; skin lesions

0 (Antioxidants)
11103-57-4 (Vitamin A)
12001-76-2 (Vitamin B Complex)
1406-18-4 (Vitamin E)
N712M78A8G (Arsenic)
PQ6CK8PD0R (Ascorbic Acid)

Date Created: 20080819 Date Completed: 20080910 Latest Revision: 20240318

20240318

PMC2516584

10.1289/ehp.10707

18709164