Association of toxic and essential metals with atopy markers and ventilatory lung function in women and men

The association of age, smoking, alcohol, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), blood lead (BPb) and cadmium (BCd) levels, and serum levels of copper (SCu), zinc (SZn) and selenium (SSe) with atopic status and ventilatory function was examined in the groups of 166 women and 50 men with no occupational exposure to metals or other xenobiotics. Markers of atopy included serum total IgE, skin prick test (SPT) to common inhalatory allergens, non-specific nasal reactivity (NNR) and non-specific bronchial reactivity (NBR). Parameters of ventilatory function included forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1). Significantly higher BPb, SZn, IgE and prevalence of positive SPT, and lower SCu and NNR was found in men than in women. Fifteen women taking female sex hormones (HT) had significantly higher SCu than women without HT. Regression models showed significant inverse associations between IgE and SCu (P = 0.021) and NNR and SCu (P = 0.044) in women. When excluding women with HT, the association of SCu and total IgE became of borderline significance (P = 0.051), association between SCu and NNR disappeared, and significant positive association between total IgE and BPb emerged (P = 0.046). In men, significant inverse association was found between positive SPT and SSe, and between NBR and SSe. A decrease in FVC% and FEV1% was associated with an increase in smoking intensity (P < 0.001) and a decrease in SZn (P = 0.043 and P = 0.053, respectively). These results were observed at the levels of the metals comparable to those in general populations worldwide. The observed differences between men and women may partly be explained by different levels of relevant toxic and essential metals, and their combination. The role of female HT in associations of atopy markers and SCu should be further investigated.