Immunological and genetic profile of the pediatric population in the nitrate geochemical province

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Contamination of groundwater with nitrates may result in substantial adverse effects on the health of various population groups. AIM: To study the immune status and genetic profile of children residing in the nitrate geochemical province in the Perm Region. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a study on a total of 78 preschool children residing in areas with varying levels of nitrate in the underground drinking water sources. The children were divided into two groups for comparison purposes. The first group consisted of 43 children who consumed drinking water that met the acceptable standards for nitrate content. The second group comprised 35 children who consumed drinking water with elevated levels of nitrates. To assess the impact of nitrate content on the children’s health, several measurements were taken. Firstly, the level of nitrates in the household drinking water was analyzed. Additionally, the concentration of N-nitrosamines and nitrate ions in the children’s urine, was determined. To evaluate the immunoregulation parameters, the technology of flow cytometry and enzyme immunoassay were employed, along with PCR to examine genetic polymorphisms. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference (p 0.001) was observed in the nitrate content of drinking water between the observation area and the comparison area, with the former showing levels 2.8 times higher. Furthermore, children in the observation group exhibited a significant increase (p 0.05) of 2.3 times in N-nitrosodiethylamine content and 1.6 times in nitrate ion concentration in their urine compared to children in the comparison group. In addition, the observation group displayed a significant decrease (p 0.05) in the number of NKT cells and an increase in the levels of CD3+CD25+-, CD3+CD95+-cells, bax, IL-17, Annexin V-FITC+PI–-, and Annexin V-FITC+PI+-lymphocytes, when compared to the results obtained from the comparison group. Moreover, the presence of polymorphisms in candidate genes associated with tumor formation (CYP1A1 (rs1048943), MMP9 (rs17576), PPARD (rs2016520), BRCA1 G/A (rs3950989)) was also identified. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that children who are exposed to chronic low-levels of nitrates (at a concentration of 1.2 MPC) through drinking water from underground sources exhibit an excessive presence of N-nitrosodiethylamine and nitrate ions in their urine. These findings, in conjunction with the genetic profile of genes responsible for tumor formation, influences the characteristics of the immune response.