Zhi-Ming Mai

M.D., M.P.H., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute

Postdoc

PLCO (Learn more about this study)

PLCO-840

Oct 15, 2021

Ambient ultraviolet radiation and serum metabolites in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Trial

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is well-established as the primary environmental cause of common skin cancers and increasingly recognized to play a role for several non-cutaneous conditions/diseases [1], such as obesity [2], diabetes [3], hypertension [4, 5], and other forms of cardiovascular disease [6]. The hypothesized mechanisms involved in these associations include vitamin D synthesis in addition to other immunologic and metabolic pathways [7]. Recently, UVR has been associated with control of lipid metabolism which can directly influence immune cell phenotype and function [8]. However, there is very little population-based epidemiological data on the role of UVR in circulating metabolites.
Our previous analysis using the PLCO Multiplex Immune Marker Panel Studies showed UVR exposure was significantly associated with nine of the 78 immune/inflammatory markers, and UVR was non-significantly associated with several markers in the metabolic disease panel, including amylin, glucagon, and insulin [9]. However, little is known about the association between UVR exposure and circulating metabolites. The characterization of the effects of UVR on a broad set of circulating metabolites may provide insight into the mechanisms responsible for the UVR-associations observed for several benign and malignant diseases.


References
1. Bernard, J.J., R.L. Gallo, and J. Krutmann, Photoimmunology: how ultraviolet radiation affects the immune system. Nature Reviews Immunology, 2019. 19(11): p. 688-701.
2. Geldenhuys, S., et al., Ultraviolet radiation suppresses obesity and symptoms of metabolic syndrome independently of vitamin D in mice fed a high-fat diet. Diabetes, 2014. 63(11): p. 3759-3769.
3. Mohr, S., et al., The association between ultraviolet B irradiance, vitamin D status and incidence rates of type 1 diabetes in 51 regions worldwide. Diabetologia, 2008. 51(8): p. 1391-1398.
4. Liu, D., et al., UVA irradiation of human skin vasodilates arterial vasculature and lowers blood pressure independently of nitric oxide synthase. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2014. 134(7): p. 1839-1846.
5. Opländer, C., et al., Whole body UVA irradiation lowers systemic blood pressure by release of nitric oxide from intracutaneous photolabile nitric oxide derivates. Circulation Research, 2009. 105(10): p. 1031-1040.
6. Weller, R.B., The health benefits of UV radiation exposure through vitamin D production or non-vitamin D pathways. Blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 2017. 16(3): p. 374-380.
7. Hart, P.H., et al., Exposure to ultraviolet radiation in the modulation of human diseases. Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, 2019. 14: p. 55-81.
8. Benita, C. and S.N. Byrne, Lipids in ultraviolet radiation-induced immune modulation. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 2020. 19(7): p. 870-878.
9. Mai, Z., et al., Solar ultraviolet radiation and variations in systemic immune and inflammation markers. JID Innovations, 2021: p. 100055.