以感應耦合電漿質譜分析儀研究頭髮內各元素與聽力閾值的相關性

The Association of Elements with Hearing Threshold-A Study Using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry on Hair Sample

王資超(Chi-Chao Wang) ； 鄭雅中(Ya-Chung Jeng) ； 林麗娟(Li-Chuan Lin) ； 溫晨帆(Chen-Fan Wen) ； 蔡青劭(Stella Chin-Shaw Tsai)

《童綜合醫學雜誌》 5卷1期 (2011/07) Pp. 20-28

https://doi.org/10.29838/TMJ.201107.0003

摘要

背景及目的：聽力障礙是一種複雜的疾病，與環境及遺傳因素有關。患聽力障礙可能會影響病人的生活品質及心理健康。文獻指出，暴露於鉛、汞、鎘和砷等元素污染的工作環境與聽力障礙有關，但少有研究在不侷限於特定工作場域下，探討生活環境中潛在的元素與聽力的相關性。在此研究計畫中，我們分析39種元素和聽力之間的相關性。方法：本研究的樣本來自海線地區某區域教學醫院耳鼻喉科就診的聽力障礙病患(n=19)及同一醫院中接受健康檢查無聽力障礙之自願受試者(n=10)。此研究排除因遺傳、外力傷害或感染等因素造成聽力障礙及已接受過治療的病人。我們採集這些人的頭髮，利用感應耦合電漿質譜分析儀(inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, ICP-MS)檢測39種元素含量，以雙耳聽力檢查報告紀錄的聽力閾值測度聽力，另以問卷調查可能的干擾因子。結果：以混合回歸模式分析聽力閾值與其它變項的相關性，結果顯示校正干擾因子後，與聽力閾值呈正相關的元素包括鉍、鎳、錫、釩、鈉和碘；與聽力閾值呈負相關的元素包括鋁、鎘、鋯、硼和銣。結論：在此橫斷研究法中我們找出與聽力具相關性的元素，但無法釐清各種元素進入人體的途徑，因此，針對海線地區探討各元素如何進入並積存於人體，是未來進一步研究這些元素對聽力的作用及致病機轉前應努力的方向。

關鍵字

聽力障礙 ； 重金屬 ； 微量元素 ； 聽力閾值 ； 相關分析

並列摘要

Background and Purpose: Hearing impairment is a complex condition, which may be associated with both environmental and hereditary factors. Individuals with hearing impairment may be affected in their life quality as well as psychological well-being. Previous literatures showed that exposure in work environment polluted by elements such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic were associated with hearing loss. However, very few studies have looked into the association of elements inherent in the living environment and hearing. In this research, we analyzed the association between these 39 elements and hearing impairment.Material and Methods: This investigation collected samples from patients who visited the Department of Otolaryngology in a coastline regional teaching hospital. Those patients presented with hearing impairment (n=19). Normal volunteers, without hearing impairment, were enrolled from the health examination center within the same hospital. This study excluded patients with hearing impairment associated with genetic, trauma-induced or infectious etiologies, or patients who had been managed. We collected the hair samples from these individuals, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) we have detected the levels of 39 elements, bilateral hearing levels were measured by pure tone audiometry, and questionnaires were used to exclude other possible confounding factors.Results: Applying the mixed regression model to analyze the relationship between hearing threshold and other variables, the results after correcting for interference factors, showed positive correlation for hearing threshold and elements including bismuth, nickel, tin, vanadium, sodium and iodine, and negative correlation for elements including aluminum, cadmium, zirconium, boron and rubidium.Conclusion: In this cross-sectional study, we have uncovered the elements associated with hearing, but we were unable to verify the pathways each element took in entering the human body. Future endeavors may focus on investigating how each element enters and accumulates in the human body for residents whom reside in the coastline region, and to gain a better understanding in its pathogenesis.

並列關鍵字

hearing impairment ； heavy metals ； trace element ； hearing threshold ； association analysis