Benzene exposure in relation to the development of glycemic dysregulation and type 2 diabetes mediated by oxidative stress and aggravated by inflammation in a repeated-measure prospective cohort study of Chinese adults
- 1Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0BU, UK
- 2Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2P5, Canada
Abstract
Aims: Whether and how benzene (a ubiquitous environmental pollutant posing substantial public health concerns) exposure contributes to glycemic dyshomeostasis and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remain unclear. Methods: Among 3422 Chinese adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort, urinary N-Acetyl-S-(phenyl)- l -cysteine (PMA; dependable benzene exposure biomarker) was repeatedly measured at baseline and 3-year follow-up to investigate its associations with glycemic homeostasis markers (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] and insulin [FPI], homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR], insulin resistance [IR], and impaired fasting glucose [IFG]) and T2DM appropriately by performing general linear, logistic, and Poisson regression models. Oxidative stress (exhaled carbon monoxide [eCO]; urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and 8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α; plasma protein carbonyl) and inflammation (plasma C-reactive protein [CRP]; mean platelet volume [MPV]; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR]) biomarkers were detected to explore their roles by performing mediation and interaction analyses. Results: Cross-sectionally, positive PMA-FPG (β = 0.014, 95% confidence interval: 0.005∼0.024), PMA-FPI (0.076, 0.049∼0.104), PMA-HOMA-IR (0.090, 0.059∼0.122), PMA-IR (odds ratio = 1.516, 1.192∼1.929), PMA-IFG (1.653, 1.164∼2.343), and PMA-T2DM (1.445, 1.019∼2.045) associations were discovered. Longitudinally, positive PMA-FPG (β = 0.059, 0.016∼0.101) and PMA-HOMA-IR (quartile 4 vs. 1: 0.054, 0.002∼0.106; P trend = 0.041) associations were uncovered, and participants with consistently high PMA level had higher risks of incident IR (risk ratio = 2.513, 1.638∼3.857) and T2DM (2.834, 1.042∼7.708). PMA-CRP and PMA-MPV interactions on FPG, PMA-CRP interaction on IFG, and PMA-NLR interaction on T2DM were detected. 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and eCO mediated 4.74% and 5.97% of the PMA-FPI and PMA-T2DM associations, respectively. Conclusions: Benzene exposure of general adults was linked to the development of glycemic dyshomeostasis and T2DM possibly through mediation by oxidative stress and interaction with inflammation.
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BibTeX
@article{hong2026benzene,
title = {{Benzene exposure in relation to the development of glycemic dysregulation and type 2 diabetes mediated by oxidative stress and aggravated by inflammation in a repeated-measure prospective cohort study of Chinese adults}},
author = {Le Hong and Shuhui Wan and Wendi Shi and Jiahao Song and Wenshan Shi and Feifei Wang and Yani Xiong and Jie Liu and Da Shi and Pengfei Chen and Qing Liu and Zhiying Huo and Jinqiang Li and Haobin Feng and Bin Wang and Weihong Chen},
journal = {Redox Biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.redox.2026.104434},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2026.104434},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Benzene exposure in relation to the development of glycemic dysregulation and type 2 diabetes mediated by oxidative stress and aggravated by inflammation in a repeated-measure prospective cohort study of Chinese adults
AU - Le Hong
AU - Shuhui Wan
AU - Wendi Shi
AU - Jiahao Song
AU - Wenshan Shi
AU - Feifei Wang
AU - Yani Xiong
AU - Jie Liu
AU - Da Shi
AU - Pengfei Chen
AU - Qing Liu
AU - Zhiying Huo
AU - Jinqiang Li
AU - Haobin Feng
AU - Bin Wang
AU - Weihong Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/11
JO - Redox Biology
DO - 10.1016/j.redox.2026.104434
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2026.104434
AB - Aims: Whether and how benzene (a ubiquitous environmental pollutant posing substantial public health concerns) exposure contributes to glycemic dyshomeostasis and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remain unclear. Methods: Among 3422 Chinese adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort, urinary N-Acetyl-S-(phenyl)- l -cysteine (PMA; dependable benzene exposure biomarker) was repeatedly measured at baseline and 3-year follow-up to investigate its associations with glycemic homeostasis markers (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] and insulin [FPI], homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR], insulin resistance [IR], and impaired fasting glucose [IFG]) and T2DM appropriately by performing general linear, logistic, and Poisson regression models. Oxidative stress (exhaled carbon monoxide [eCO]; urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and 8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α; plasma protein carbonyl) and inflammation (plasma C-reactive protein [CRP]; mean platelet volume [MPV]; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR]) biomarkers were detected to explore their roles by performing mediation and interaction analyses. Results: Cross-sectionally, positive PMA-FPG (β = 0.014, 95% confidence interval: 0.005∼0.024), PMA-FPI (0.076, 0.049∼0.104), PMA-HOMA-IR (0.090, 0.059∼0.122), PMA-IR (odds ratio = 1.516, 1.192∼1.929), PMA-IFG (1.653, 1.164∼2.343), and PMA-T2DM (1.445, 1.019∼2.045) associations were discovered. Longitudinally, positive PMA-FPG (β = 0.059, 0.016∼0.101) and PMA-HOMA-IR (quartile 4 vs. 1: 0.054, 0.002∼0.106; P trend = 0.041) associations were uncovered, and participants with consistently high PMA level had higher risks of incident IR (risk ratio = 2.513, 1.638∼3.857) and T2DM (2.834, 1.042∼7.708). PMA-CRP and PMA-MPV interactions on FPG, PMA-CRP interaction on IFG, and PMA-NLR interaction on T2DM were detected. 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and eCO mediated 4.74% and 5.97% of the PMA-FPI and PMA-T2DM associations, respectively. Conclusions: Benzene exposure of general adults was linked to the development of glycemic dyshomeostasis and T2DM possibly through mediation by oxidative stress and interaction with inflammation.
SN - 2213-2317
ER -