Environmental Health Perspectives. volume 118 | number 11 | November 2010

Selenium and Mercury in the Brazilian Amazon: Opposing Influences on Age-Related Cataracts

Abstract: Background: Age-related cataracts (ARCs) are an important cause of blindness in developing countries. Although antioxidants may be part of the body's defense to prevent ARC, environmental contaminants may contribute to cataractogenesis. In fish-eating populations of the lower Tapajós region, elevated exposure to mercury (Hg) has been reported, and blood levels of selenium (Se) range from normal to very high (> 1,000 µg/L).

Objectives: We examined ARCs in relation to these elements among adults (≥ 40 years of age) from 12 riverside communities.

Methods: Participants (n = 211) provided blood samples and underwent an extensive ocular examination. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to assess Hg and Se in blood and plasma.

Results: One-third (n = 69; 32.7%) of the participants had ARC. Lower plasma Se (P-Se; < 25th percentile, 110 µg/L) and higher blood Hg (B-Hg; ≥ 25th percentile, 25 µg/L) were associated with a higher prevalence odds ratio (POR) of ARC [adjusted POR (95% confidence interval), 2.69 (1.11–6.56) and 4.45 (1.43–13.83), respectively]. Among participants with high P-Se, we observed a positive but nonsignificant association with high B-Hg exposure, whereas among those with low B-Hg, we observed no association for P-Se. However, compared with the optimum situation (high P-Se, low B-Hg), the POR for those with low P-Se and high B-Hg was 16.4 (3.0–87.9). This finding suggests a synergistic effect.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that persons in this population with elevated Hg, the cataractogenic effects of Hg may be offset by Se. Because of the relatively small sample size and possible confounding by other dietary nutrients, additional studies with sufficient power to assess multiple nutrient and toxic interactions are required to confirm these findings.

Age-related cataract (ARC) is a leading cause of impaired vision among elderly populations, particularly in developing nations where there is little access to surgical procedures (World Health Organization 1991). ARC is generally characterized by a gradual painless loss of vision from damage to and accumulation, aggregation, and precipitation of lens proteins that cause a partial or complete progressive lens opacification. ARC prevalence increases from approximately 5% at 65 years of age to 50% at 75 years of age (Chiu and Taylor 2007).

The eye's lens is avascular; it depends mostly on passive diffusion, active transport, and intralens protein synthesis. Compared with other tissues, the lens contains high concentrations of locally synthesized glutathione (GSH) that decrease with age (Reddy and Giblin 1984). Reduced GSH, the "active" form of GSH that is involved in the antioxidant defense system, may act as the first line of protection against cataract formation (Fernandez and Afshari 2008).

Observational and clinical trials have evaluated the potential protective effect of nutrients such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and selenium (Se) on lens tissues (Chiu and Taylor 2007; Flohé 2005). Since the 1960s, research has suggested that specific Se-containing enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), may be part of the body's defense to prevent or delay the progression of ARC (Flohé 2005). Animal studies have shown that chronic Se deficiency or GPx depletion can lead to cataract formation, whereas Se excess can induce prooxidant conditions involved in cataractogenesis (Cai et al. 1994; Reddy et al. 2001; Kyselova 2010). However, the role of Se status in the formation of human cataract remains unclear (Flohé 2005; Li et al. 2009).

ARC pathology is believed to result from a combination of risk factors acting over many years, such as smoking; ultraviolet light; exposure to heavy metals, including cadmium and mercury (Hg); and the use of steroids and gout medication (see Head 2001). For many of these factors, oxidative damage or unbalance in reduced GSH concentrations may be the underlying process leading to degenerative opacities of the lens (Head 2001; Truscott 2005).

At low latitudes, where solar ultraviolet exposure is high, there is an elevated prevalence of ARC (Sasaki et al. 2003). The Tapajós River, a major tributary of the Amazon, is situated near the equator, and inhabitants spend most of the day outdoors, involved in subsistence activities such as traditional fishing, slash-and-burn agriculture, and washing clothes and dishes in the river. The fish-eating populations from this region have among the highest reported Hg exposure in the world today (Passos and Mergler 2008). On the other hand, Se status in these same communities ranges from normal to very high (Lemire et al. 2006, 2009).

The objective of the present study was to examine the prevalence of ARC in relation to Hg exposure and Se status.

Discussion

For this population in the Brazilian Amazon, where environmental exposure to Hg is elevated compared with most areas in the world (Passos and Mergler 2008), the prevalence of ARC varied in opposite directions in association with P-Se and B-Hg. We observed the lowest prevalence for those with high P-Se and low B-Hg, and the highest prevalence for those with high B-Hg and low P-Se levels. 
The high POR between the "worst" and the "optimum" exposure combinations suggests possible antagonism for the protective effects of Se and the adverse effects of Hg. It is noteworthy that for persons with high P-Se, we observed a moderate nonsignificant association between B-Hg and ARC, whereas for those with low B-Hg, no association was found between P-Se and ARC.

The positive association between ARC and B-Hg for those with lower P-Se is a new finding. Few studies have examined cataracts in relation to Hg exposure, although some scientists have suggested that Hg accumulates in the lens and may be involved in cataract formation (Gabal and Raslan 1995; Winder et al. 1980).

Reddy and Giblin (1984) showed that pretreatment of human and rabbit lenses with methylmercury decreased reduced GSH concentration by 75%; the lenses were also less effective in hydrogen peroxide conversion, which can result in lens opacification.

Indeed, Hg molecules have a high affinity to sulfhydryl groups of small molecules, such as reduced GSH and cysteine proteins (see Clarkson and Magos 2006). Some researchers have suggested that Hg can also bind to Se in the active site of selenoenzymes, such as GPx, thereby inhibiting their enzymatic functions (Seppänen et al. 2004).

For indigenous populations in the Amazon, Paula et al. (2006) reported a higher prevalence of ARC for the groups that depend on fishing than for those that depend on hunting (24.5% vs. 13.7%), but no information is provided on Hg exposure.

The literature on the association between Se and ARC in human populations is inconsistent. For example, Swanson and Truesdale (1971) reported low levels of Se in cataractous human lens tissues. Karaküçük et al. (1995) reported lower Se concentrations in the aqueous humor of patients with ARC, but they found no differences in Se lens content. Some epidemiological studies have indicated that Se status is negatively associated with ARC (Karaküçük et al. 1995; Valero et al. 2002), whereas one study observed a positive association with B-Se (Jacques et al. 1988). Akesson et al. (1987) observed no association with P-Se levels among 68-year-old men with and without cataracts, but mean P-Se was considerably lower than in our study (~ 85 µg/L). Li et al. (2009) reported no difference in ARC prevalence between persons living in a poor- and a rich-Se area. Several factors may explain differences among studies, including variation in the range of Se status, the use of different biomarkers of Se status, differences in the chemical form of the Se intake (inorganic vs. organic), and the influence of confounding factors and concomitant environmental and occupational exposures.

In the present study, it is not clear whether the Se association with ARC was independent of Hg-related lens damage. ARC was strongly associated with B-Hg exposure among those with P-Se status < 110 µg/L, but the prevalence of ARC did not significantly increase with Hg exposure among those whose P-Se was equal to or above this concentration. Several selenoproteins may be involved in lens protection against reactive oxygen species that cause protein cross-linking and lipid peroxidation in the lens (see Flohé 2005). Cytosolic GPx (GPx-1) uses GSH as reducing substrate and has been shown to play a central role in hydrogen peroxide detoxification and, consequently, against cataract formation. Together with glutathione reductase and glutathione synthase, GPx-1 is involved in reduced GSH pool regeneration in the lens. Extracellular GPx (GPx-3), which plays a role in the regulation of extracellular hydrogen peroxide, has also been identified in the eye (Flohé 2005). Recent evidence suggests that the Se intake required to optimize all different selenoproteins would require P-Se concentrations around 125 µg/L (Burk et al. 2006).

Two hypotheses may explain our findings. First, Se may play an important preventive role for ARC disease through its antioxidant enzymatic activities; second, higher Se intake may be essential to counter the effects of Hg-induced cataracts by restoring the selenoenzymes or the GSH pool. A combination of both is also possible.

Because in the present study no one is exempt from Hg exposure, we are unable to conclude whether higher Se status (in the absence of Hg) can prevent or delay the progression of ARC.

As expected, the prevalence of cataracts increased with age. It is noteworthy that those with low Se and high Hg in the 40- to 65-year age category displayed an ARC prevalence similar to that for ≥ 65-year-olds, although the severity of ARC was greater among persons in the older group. For those ≥ 65 years of age, the POR in the group with the highest risk (low P-Se–high B-Hg) was elevated but did not reach significance, at least in part due to the small numbers of observations in this age category.

Cataracts have been induced in experimental models with high concentrations of inorganic Se (selenite), at doses below those causing acute Se systemic toxicity (Flohé 2005). In the present study, we observed no adverse effects although Se concentrations were very high, reaching 1,500 µg/L for B-Se and 913 µg/L for P-Se. In this riverside population, high Se intake comes from local diet, which contains mostly organic forms of Se (Lemire et al. 2010). The toxic effects of organic Se are less understood, and toxicity, if it exists, may occur at higher levels compared with inorganic Se (Rayman et al. 2008). On the other hand, concomitant exposure to metals, such as Hg, may raise the body's Se requirements to offset toxic effects (Fordyce 2005; Watanabe 1999) and to maintain optimal Se antioxidant enzymes and other Se physiological activities (Rayman 2009). Thus, in a situation with elevated Hg and Se, there may be less "excess" of Se and consequently little or no Se toxicity.

B-Hg was more strongly associated with ARC than was P-Hg. Hg accumulates in the erythrocytes (Clarkson and Magos 2006), and the largest fraction of Hg is measured in whole blood.

On the other hand, P-Se was the Se biomarker that was most strongly associated ARC prevalence. Although P-Se reflects recent intake (Combs 2001), Se remains high throughout the year in this population, despite some seasonal variation (Lemire et al. 2009). More than 40% of the Se in human plasma is bound to selenoprotein P (SelP) (Moschos 2000). Plasma SelP is the main transport form of Se for delivery and supporting essential physiological functions of Se in kidney, testis, and brain. However, its role in Se transport to the lens and expression within the lens remains to be established. The lens is an isolated system where most of the proteins, such as selenoproteins and GSH, are probably locally synthesized (Head 2001).

This cross-sectional study suggests that there are opposing effects of P-Se and B-Hg on ARC; however, longitudinal and case–control studies would be useful to confirm these findings and support causal associations. In the Amazon, intense sunlight is omnipresent in daily activities, and because there is little interindividual variability, it would be impossible to control for this important etiological factor in ARC disease (Head 2001).

One of the limits of the present study is that other dietary nutrients may confound the observed associations. Habitants of the lower Tapajós region regularly eat a diversity of fruits, and, when available, vegetables complete the daily food intake (Passos et al. 2001). Fruits and green leafy vegetables can contain high concentrations of beneficial antioxidants (Se, vitamins C, E, beta-carotene), as well as other phytonutrients. Increasing evidence suggests that high consumption of vitamins C and E, and lutein and zeaxanthin carotenoids may help prevent or delay age-related eye diseases, including cataracts (Chiu and Taylor 2007; Fernandez and Afshari 2008). In this population, Brazil nuts are the main source of Se (Lemire et al. 2010). These nuts can also contain high levels of vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids (Ryan et al. 2006). Therefore, vitamin E may be a confounding factor in the present study. Future studies need to consider a wide range of beneficial nutrients and their potential interactions with toxic elements.

The present study was not based on a random sample, and the ARC prevalence does not necessarily reflect that of the entire population of this region. Using a random sampling strategy in four indigenous communities of the Brazilian Amazon, Paula et al. (2006) reported a prevalence rate of 50.2% for the elderly, but they were unable to determine actual age. In a population-based study of persons ≥ 80 years of age living in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, Romani (2005) reported that 85.6% suffered from cataracts. This proportion is similar to that of participants aged 65–80 years in the present study population (81.5%), suggesting that the conditions in the Amazonian region may increase the risk of ARC. In the United States, the prevalence of ARC during each decade between 40 and 80 years of age is estimated at 2.5%, 6.8%, 20%, and 42.8%, respectively (Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group 2004).

In the Amazon, riverside populations have little access to surgical cataract repair, and severe ARC is an important cause of blindness among older persons. Public health interventions to alleviate this disease need to consider the risks and benefits of consumption of fish (the major source of Hg) and local foods that are high in Se.

PMID: 20716509