Background

Glyphosate, the herbicide with the highest global usage, has been found to have links to neurological impairment in some occupational studies. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a protein that is released into the bloodstream following neuroaxonal damage and has emerged as a reliable biomarker for various neurological disorders. However, no research has investigated the potential link between glyphosate exposure and neurological damage or serum NfL levels in the general population.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the possible correlation between glyphosate exposure and serum NfL levels in a population that is representative of the United States.

Methods

We analyzed data from 597 adults (aged ≥20 years) from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to explore the potential correlation between urinary glyphosate levels and serum NfL levels.

Results

We found a significant positive association between urinary glyphosate levels and serum NfL levels (ß-coefficient = 0.110; S.E. = 0.040; P = 0.015), indicating that higher levels of glyphosate exposure may be linked to higher levels of neuroaxonal damage. Furthermore, when glyphosate levels were divided into quintiles, we observed a significant trend of increasing mean NfL concentrations with increasing quintiles of glyphosate exposure (P for trend = 0.036). Notably, the association was more pronounced in certain subgroups, including those aged ≥40 years, non-Hispanic whites, and those with a BMI between 25 and 30.

Impact statement

This is the first research to suggest an association between glyphosate exposure and biomarkers indicative of neurological damage in general U.S. adults. If the correlation observed is causal, it raises concerns about the potential effects of glyphosate exposure on neurological health among U.S. adults. The study is noteworthy due to its representation of American adults aged 20 and above, as well as the use of reliable and comprehensive data from the NHANES database.

中文翻译：

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美国成年人代表性样本中尿草甘膦水平与血清​​神经丝轻链之间的关联：NHANES 2013–2014

 背景

草甘膦是全球使用量最高的除草剂，一些职业研究发现它与神经损伤有关。神经丝轻链 (NfL) 是一种在神经轴突损伤后释放到血流中的蛋白质，已成为各种神经系统疾病的可靠生物标志物。然而，尚无研究调查草甘膦暴露与普通人群神经损伤或血清 NfL 水平之间的潜在联系。

 客观的

本研究的目的是评估代表美国的人群中草甘膦暴露与血清 NfL 水平之间可能存在的相关性。

 方法

我们分析了 2013-2014 年国家健康和营养检查调查 (NHANES) 中 597 名成年人（年龄≥20 岁）的数据，以探讨尿草甘膦水平与血清​​ NfL 水平之间的潜在相关性。

 结果

我们发现尿草甘膦水平与血清​​ NfL 水平之间存在显着正相关（ β系数 = 0.110；SE = 0.040； P = 0.015），表明较高水平的草甘膦暴露可能与较高水平的神经轴索损伤有关。此外，当草甘膦水平分为五分位数时，我们观察到平均 NfL 浓度随着草甘膦暴露五分位数的增加而增加的显着趋势（趋势P = 0.036）。值得注意的是，这种关联在某些亚组中更为明显，包括年龄≥40 岁的人群、非西班牙裔白人以及 BMI 在 25 至 30 之间的人群。

 影响报告

这是第一项表明美国成年人中草甘膦暴露与指示神经损伤的生物标志物之间存在关联的研究。如果观察到的相关性是因果关系，那么就会引起人们对草甘膦暴露对美国成年人神经健康的潜在影响的担忧。该研究之所以值得注意，是因为它代表了 20 岁及以上的美国成年人，并且使用了来自 NHANES 数据库的可靠且全面的数据。