Is chemical exposure present in informal work associated with Sars-CoV-2 infection?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence of Covid-19 symptoms between informal home-based workers and a control group and to assess the association of these cases with blood elements concentrations and other relevant risk factors for Sars-Cov-2 infection. METHODS: Welders chemically exposed to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (n = 26) and control participants (n = 25) answered questionnaires on adherence to social distancing and signs and symptoms of the disease for five months during the Covid-19 pandemic. After follow-up, Covid-19 serology tests were performed on a subsample of 12 chemically exposed workers and 20 control participants. Before the pandemic, PTE concentrations in blood (As, Mn, Ni, Cd, Hg, Sb, Sn, Cu, Zn, and Pb) were measured by ICP-MS. RESULTS: The chemically exposed group had higher lead and cadmium levels in blood (p < 0.01). The control group presented lower adherence to social distancing (p = 0.016). Although not significant, welders had a 74% greater chance of having at least one Covid-19 symptom compared with control participants, but their adherence to social distancing decreased this chance by 20%. The use of taxis for transportation was a risk factor significantly associated with Covid-19 symptoms. CONCLUSION: The lower adherence to social distancing among the control group greatly influences the development of Covid-19. The literature lacks data linking exposure to PTEs and Sars-Cov-2 infection and/or severity. In this study, despite chemical exposure, working from home may have protected welders against Covid-19, considering that they maintained greater social distancing than control participants

Avaliaçao do perfil proteômico na saliva em trabalhadores da cadeia produtiva de joias, semijoias e bijuterias de Limeira, SP

City of Limeira, located in Brazil, consolidates a region of jewelry and fashion adornment production with homemade and informal processes of assembly, welding and electroplating of jewels, providing a scenario of outsourced services. These processes can expose the worker to potentially toxic elements, such as mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cupper (Cu), chrome (Cr) and tin (Sn). This study aimed to evaluate the post-translational modifications and the negative effects of metals on protein expression performing a proteomic approach on workers from the jewelry sector of Limeira city. Total saliva was collected from 26 participants, classified as Welders Group (n = 13) and Control Group (n = 13). The samples were analyzed using a nanoACQUITY UPLC® System coupled to a mass spectrometry system (maXis ™ 3G Q-TOF), in single shotgun LC-MS/MS runs. All the samples were analyzed using PEAKS Studio 8.5 software. The proteins identified in both groups were classified according to Gene Ontology (GO). Pathway enrichment analysis was performed using the Reactome Pathway Database, with a p-value ≤ 0.05 and a false discovery rate (FDR) ≤ 0.05 as the cut-off criteria. In bioinformatics analysis, 997 proteins were identified in the both groups: 119 proteins were expressed only in the welder group and others 136 proteins were expressed only in the control group. Principal component analysis, K-means clustering and dendogram construction were performed using Statistica 12.5 software. In the analysis of Gene Ontology the results revealed that the immune system was the second most represented GO process in the Controls group, being sub-categorized as immuno-effector, immune response, leukocyte activation and activation of the immune resistance system. These results indicated that welders may exhibit immunity deficiency. The welders were overrepresented in terms of metabolic process, catalytic activity, response to stimuli, response to toxic substances, metabolism activity, apoptosis, alteration in the cell cycle, stress response, terms (it’s) that suggest changes in protein expression associated with toxic effect of metals, which welders are exposed during their work life activities. The informal, home and outsourced works carried out by welders is influencing their internal exposure and this type of occupational activity should be considered to investigate associations with diseases and illness, those proteins that have been expressed only in the affected group.A cidade de Limeira, SP, Brasil, consolida um pólo de produção de joias e bijuterias com processos caseiros e informais de montagem e soldagem de joias, constituindo um cenário de serviços terceirizados ou quarteirizados. Esses processos podem expor o trabalhador a elementos potencialmente tóxicos, como mercúrio (Hg), chumbo (Pb), níquel (Ni), cádmio (Cd), zinco (Zn), arsênio (As), cobre (Cu), cromo ( Cr) e estanho (Sn). Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as modificações pós-traducionais e os efeitos negativos dos metais na expressão protéica, realizando uma abordagem proteômica em trabalhadores do setor joalheiro de Limeira. A saliva total foi coletada de 26 participantes, classificados como grupo de Soldadores (n = 13) e grupo Controle (n = 13). As amostras foram analisadas utilizando-se um sistema nanoACQUITY UPLC® acoplado a um sistema de espectrometria de massa (maXis ™ 3G Q-TOF), em operações de shotgun LC-MS / MS. Todas as amostras foram analisadas usando o software PEAKS Studio 8.5. As proteínas identificadas em ambos os grupos foram classificadas de acordo com a ontologia de Gene (GO). A análise do enriquecimento da via foi realizada usando o banco de dados Reactome Pathway, com um valor p ≤ 0,05 e uma taxa de descoberta falsa (FDR) ≤ 0,05 como critério de corte. Na análise de bioinformática, foram identificadas 997 proteínas para os dois grupos: 119 proteínas foram expressas apenas no grupo soldador e 136 proteínas, apenas no grupo controle. A análise de componentes principais, o agrupamento K-means e a construção do dendograma foram realizados usando o software Statistica 12.5. Na análise de ontologia gênica, os resultados revelaram que o sistema imune foi o segundo termo GO mais representado no grupo Controles, sendo sub-categorizado como imuno-efetor, resposta imune, ativação de leucócitos e ativação do sistema de resistência imune. Esses resultados indicaram que os soldadores podem apresentar problemas de imunidade. Os soldadores foram super-representados em termos de processo metabólico, atividade catalítica, resposta estímulos, resposta a substâncias tóxicas, atividade de metabolismo, apoptose, alteração no ciclo celular, resposta ao estresse, termos esses que sugerem modificações na expressão das proteínas, associados a efeito tóxico dos metais, aos quais as soldadoras estão expostas durante suas atividades laborais. O trabalho informal, domiciliar e terceirizado realizado pelos soldadores está influenciando em seu expossoma interno e esse tipo de atividade ocupacional deve ser considerada para investigar associações com doenças, cujas proteínas se mostraram expressas apenas no grupo das soldadoras.Dados abertos - Sucupira - Teses e dissertações (2019