Upregulation of CCL7, CCL20, CXCL2, IL-1?, IL-6 and MMP-9 in Skin Samples of PCB Exposed Individuals—A Preliminary Study

Marike Leijs, Katharina Fietkau, Hans F. Merk, Thomas Schettgen, Thomas Kraus and André Esser
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Marike Leijs: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52072 Aachen, Germany
Katharina Fietkau: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52072 Aachen, Germany
Hans F. Merk: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52072 Aachen, Germany
Thomas Schettgen: Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52072 Aachen, Germany
Thomas Kraus: Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52072 Aachen, Germany
André Esser: Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52072 Aachen, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are well known immunotoxic and carcinogenic compounds. Although cutaneous symptoms are the hallmark of exposure to these compounds, exact pathophysiologic mechanisms are not well understood. We took skin biopsies from moderately high PCB exposed workers ( n = 25) after an informed consent and investigated the expression of immunological markers such as CCL-7, CCL-20, CXCL2, IL-1? and IL-6, as well as the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-9, EPGN and NRF2 by RT-qPCR, and compared expression levels with plasma PCB levels. Statistical analyses showed a significant correlation between CCL-20, CXCL2, IL-6, IL-1?, CCL-7 and MMP-9 and PCB serum levels. EPGN and NRF2 were not correlated to PCB levels in the blood. We found a significant correlation of genes involved in autoimmune, auto-inflammatory and carcinogenesis in skin samples of PCB exposed individuals with elevated plasma PCB levels. Confirmation of these findings needs to be performed in bigger study groups and larger gen-sets, including multiple housekeeping genes. Further study needs to be performed to see whether a chronical exposure to these and similar compounds can cause higher incidence of malignancies and inflammatory disease.

Keywords: polychlorinated biphenyls; gene regulation; HELPcB; PCB exposure; CCL20; CXCL2; IL-6; IL-1?; MMP-9; CCL-7; EPGN; NRF2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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