Association between occupational exposure to trichloroethylene and serum levels of microRNAs: a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study in China

Abstract

Objectives The objective of our study was to evaluate the association between occupational exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE), a suspected lymphomagen, and serum levels of miRNAs in a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study of TCE-exposed workers and comparable unexposed controls in China. Methods Serum levels of 40 miRNAs were compared in 74 workers exposed to TCE (median: 12 ppm) and 90 unexposed control workers. Linear regression models were used to test for differences in serum miRNA levels between exposed and unexposed workers and to evaluate exposure–response relationships across TCE exposure categories using a three-level ordinal variable [i.e., unexposed, < 12 ppm, the median value among workers exposed to TCE) and ≥ 12 ppm)]. Models were adjusted for sex, age, current smoking, current alcohol use, and recent infection. Results Seven miRNAs showed significant differences between exposed and unexposed workers at FDR (false discovery rate) < 0.20. miR-150-5p and let-7b-5p also showed significant inverse exposure–response associations with TCE exposure (Ptrend= 0.002 and 0.03, respectively). The % differences in serum levels of miR-150-5p relative to unexposed controls were − 13% and − 20% among workers exposed to < 12 ppm and ≥ 12 ppm TCE, respectively. Conclusions miR-150-5p is involved in B cell receptor pathways and let-7b-5p plays a role in the innate immune response processes that are potentially important in the etiology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Further studies are needed to replicate these findings and to directly test the association between serum levels of these miRNAs and risk of NHL in prospective studies.