Chronic exposure to cadmium and arsenic strongly influences concentrations of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine in urine

Exposure to arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) may generate oxidative stress, which can be assessed by 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in urine, a sensitive marker of oxidatively damaged DNA. We have evaluated oxidative stress induced by chronic mixed exposure to As, Cd, and Pb, as well as the influence of As metabolism and nutritional status, i.e., levels of ferritin (Ft), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) and body weight. 8-OxodG was measured in urine from 212 women in early pregnancy from Matlab, in rural Bangladesh, using LC–MS/MS. Cd and Pb were analyzed in urine and erythrocytes, and Se, Mn, and Zn were analyzed in erythrocytes, all by ICPMS. As and As metabolites were analyzed in urine by HPLC–ICPMS. Ferritin was analyzed in plasma by radioimmunoassay. The median concentration of 8-oxodG was 8.3 nmol/L (adjusted for specific gravity), range 1.2–43, corresponding to a median of 4.7 μg/g creatinine, range 1.8–32. 8-OxodG was positively associated with urinary Cd (β = 0.32, p <  0.001), urinary As (β = 0.0007, p = 0.001), the fraction of the monomethylated arsenic metabolite in urine (β = 0.0026, p = 0.004), and plasma Ft (β = 0.20, p <  0.001). A joint effect was seen for urinary Cd and As, but whether this effect was additive or multiplicative was difficult to discern.