Stainless Steel Welding Fumes Adversely Affect Migratory Ability of First Trimester Human Placental Cells

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bowers L ; Friend S ; Leonard, Stephanie ; Morris A ; Olgun, Nicole S. ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B.
• Description:
  In the United States, the number of female welders has increased by more than two percent over the past decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts steady industry growth through 2024, and it is expected that many women will continue to fill these roles as the baby-boomer generation prepares to retire. Not surprisingly, very little data currently exists on the potential reproductive effects of mild and stainless steel welding fumes on the placenta. Using human placental trophoblast cells (HTR-8/SVneo) from the first trimester, we aimed to identify the mechanisms of toxicity associated with stainless steel (SS) and mild steel (MS) welding rods. MS welding fumes are mainly comprised of iron and manganese, while SS welding fumes primarily contain hexavalent chromium and nickel. During embryogenesis and placentation, cellular migration is a highly orchestrated and multi-step process that plays an integral role in providing the foundation for a successful pregnancy. In this study, exposure of HTR-8/SVneo cells to 100 microg/ml of SS welding fumes for 24 h using the RadiusTM Migration assay showed significant inhibition of cellular migratory ability, whereas cells exposed to MS were not affected. Using electron paramagnetic resonance, exposure of cells to SS also produced greater amounts of the hydroxyl radical when compared to MS. Results from a multiplex cytokine kit (Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC) show that exposure of cells to SS causes a pro-inflammatory response, with significant increases of IL-8 and IL-15 observed. Finally, scanning electron microscopy was performed to better understand how particles are internalized by placental cells. For both MS and SS, welding fumes accumulated in vascular spaces, which could potentially explain the increased Endothelin-1 results observed using ELISA. Endothelin-1 is a potent vasoconstrictor that is necessary for fetal formation, but upregulated in the setting of inflammation. Our data shows that SS appears to have the most damaging effect on placental cells, which could be due to the presence of hexavalent chromium, not found in MS. Further studies are needed to delineate the toxicity of the individual metals found in welding fumes and their effects on the female reproductive system. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Biological Assay Cells, Cultured Chromium Embryology Environmental Exposure Enzymes Hazardous Substances Immune System Laboratories Metals Occupational Health Safety Toxicology Urogenital Diseases Urogenital System Welding Women

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• Keywords:
  Bioassays Cell Cultures Cell Culture Techniques Cell Migration Cellular Effects Cytokines ELISA Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay Exposure Assessment Exposure Levels Hexavalent Chromium Humans Hydroxyl Groups Immune Reaction Laboratory Testing Proteins Reproductive Effects Reproductive Hazards Reproductive System Disorders Scanning Electron Microscopy Stainless Steel Toxic Fumes Welders Welding Fumes

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• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division ; RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  168
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054915
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2019 Mar; 168(1):122
• CAS Registry Number:
  Chromium(6+) (CAS RN 18540-29-9) ; Iron (CAS RN 7439-89-6) ; Manganese (CAS RN 7439-96-5) ; Nickel (CAS RN 7440-02-0) ; Stainless Steel (CAS RN 12597-68-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 58th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 10-14, 2019, Baltimore, Maryland
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e8297d90066b76f9b638a7a642312011fc57fefb567618c699d16a8fe0733b2e0fd2d3603d6528fbd91adad677e0b6ce84a57d73522c9f41aa8df89d5e139141
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217325/cdc_217325_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 859.74 KB ]