SynthesisFood and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association2020
Toxic metal exposure as a possible risk factor for COVID-19 and other respiratory infectious diseases.
Synthesis in Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 43 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
43 citing papers in PubMed, 99 citations in OpenAlex.
- Arsenic exposure and skin cancer: Mechanisms, clinical evidence and public health implications (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2026Review
- Article
- Association between heavy metal exposure and chronic cough: the mediating roles of inflammation.Annals of medicine · 2025Article
- The predictive value of multiple urinary metals in evaluating death risk in asthmatic individuals: a prospective cohort study.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2025Article
- Linking soil-metal concentrations with children's blood and urine biomarkers in Syracuse, NY.Environmental research · 2025Article
- Systemic inflammation mediates the relationship between urinary cadmium and chronic cough risk: findings based on multiple statistical models.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2025Article
- Machine learning prediction model with shap interpretation for chronic bronchitis risk assessment based on heavy metal exposure: a nationally representative study.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2025Article
- Skyrocketing pollution: assessing the environmental fate of July 4th fireworks in New York City.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2025Article
- A cross-sectional study of laboratory parameters 5-6 months after the first COVID-19 infection.Heliyon · 2025Article
- Effects of heavy metal exposure on kidney transplant recipients: mechanisms and clinical implications for graft failure risk.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Natural and socio-environmental factors in the transmission of COVID-19: a comprehensive analysis of epidemiology and mechanisms.BMC public health · 2024Review
- Heavy Metal Exposure-Mediated Dysregulation of Sphingolipid Metabolism.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Article
- Oral arsenite exposure induces inflammation and apoptosis in pulmonary tissue: acute and chronic evaluation in young and adult mice.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2024Article
- Urinary cadmium concentration is associated with the severity and clinical outcomes of COVID-19: a bicenter observational cohort study.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2024Observational
- Higher blood manganese level associated with increased risk of adult latent tuberculosis infection in the US population.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Rare Earth and Platinum Group Elements In Sub-Saharan Africa and Global Health: The Dark Side of the Burgeoning of Technology.Environmental health insights · 2024Review
- Air pollutants in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and pulmonary tuberculosis: A mediation analysis of gene-specific methylation.iScience · 2023Article
- Heavy metal levels and flavonoid intakes are associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an NHANES analysis (2007-2010 to 2017-2018).BMC public health · 2023Article
- Evaluation of the Effect of Pb Pollution on Avian Influenza Virus-Specific Antibody Production in Black-Headed Gulls (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
12 authors at 8 institutions in 8 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Multiple medical, lifestyle, and environmental conditions, including smoking and particulate pollution, have been considered as risk factors for COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility and severity. Taking into account the high level of toxic metals in both particulate matter (PM2.5) and tobacco smoke, the objective of this review is to discuss recent data on the role of heavy metal exposure in development of respiratory dysfunction, immunotoxicity, and severity of viral diseases in epidemiological and experimental studies, as to demonstrate the potential crossroads between heavy metal exposure and COVID-19 severity risk. The existing data demonstrate that As, Cd, Hg, and Pb exposure is associated with respiratory dysfunction and respiratory diseases (COPD, bronchitis). These observations corroborate laboratory findings on the role of heavy metal exposure in impaired mucociliary clearance, reduced barrier function, airway inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The association between heavy metal exposure and severity of viral diseases, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus has been also demonstrated. The latter may be considered a consequence of adverse effects of metal exposure on adaptive immunity. Therefore, reduction of toxic metal exposure may be considered as a potential tool for reducing susceptibility and severity of viral diseases affecting the respiratory system, including COVID-19.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.