Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure and Telomere Length and their Interaction on Blood Lipids in Coal Miners

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and telomere length on lipids in coal miners. Methods Basic personal information of 637 coal miners was collected by questionnaire survey. Logistic regression, the Bayesian kernel machine regression model, and weighted quantile sum regression were used to analyze the effects of PAH metabolites and telomere length and their interactions on blood lipids. Results High exposure to 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (OR = 1.586, 95% CI: 1.011–2.487) and telomere shortening (OR = 1.413, 95% CI: 1.005–1.985) were associated with dyslipidemia. Weighted quantile sum results showed that 9-hydroxyphenanthrene accounted for the largest proportion of dyslipidemia (weight = 0.66). The interaction results showed that high 9-hydroxyphenanthrene exposure and short telomeres were risk factors for dyslipidemia in coal miners (OR = 2.085, 95% CI: 1.121–3.879). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that 9-hydroxyphenanthrene and shorter telomeres are risk factors for dyslipidemia, and their interaction increases the risk of dyslipidemia.