AUTHOR=Qi Min , Zhang Huan , He Jian-Qing 

TITLE=Higher blood manganese level associated with increased risk of adult latent tuberculosis infection in the US population

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1440287

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1440287

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>The associations between blood heavy metal levels and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between blood heavy metal levels and LTBI in adults using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2011 to 2012.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>We enrolled 1710 participants in this study, and compared the baseline characteristics of participants involved. Multivariate logistic regression analysis, restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis, along with subgroup analysis and interaction tests were utilized to explore the association between blood manganese (Mn) level and LTBI risk.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>Participants with LTBI had higher blood Mn level compared to non-LTBI individuals (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05), while the levels of lead, cadmium, total mercury, selenium, copper, and zinc did not differ significantly between the two groups (<italic>p</italic> &gt; 0.05). In the fully adjusted model, a slight increase in LTBI risk was observed with each 1-unit increase in blood Mn level (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01, <italic>p</italic> = 0.02). Participants in the highest quartile of blood Mn level had a threefold increase in LTBI risk compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR = 4.01, 95% CI: 1.22–11.33, <italic>p</italic> = 0.02). RCS analysis did not show a non-linear relationship between blood Mn level and LTBI (non-linear <italic>p</italic>-value = 0.0826). Subgroup analyses and interaction tests indicated that age, alcohol consumption, and income-to-poverty ratio significantly influenced LTBI risk (interaction <italic>p</italic>-values&lt;0.05).</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Individuals with LTBI had higher blood Mn level compared to non-LTBI individuals, and higher blood Mn level associated with increased LTBI risk.</p></sec>