Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental contaminant that has a direct impact on the gut microbiome. Perturbations in the gut microbiome have been linked to metabolic disorders associated with inflammation generated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We investigated the impact of Cd on the association between LPS and metabolic syndrome. The study population consisted of 200 apparently healthy subjects (30-64 years of age; 96 men, 104 women). Serum LPS and blood Cd concentrations were measured by ELISA and graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GF-AAS), respectively. The highest LPS quartile was associated with a greater prevalence of metabolic syndrome in men. There was a significant association between LPS activity and metabolic syndrome in men with blood Cd concentrations higher than the 50th percentile (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.39-6.70); however, this relationship was not significant in men with blood Cd concentrations lower than the 50th percentile. The results of this study provide evidence for a strong association between high LPS activity and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in men with relatively high blood Cd concentrations. Therefore, exposure to Cd may potentiate the association between LPS and metabolic syndrome in men.