Association of blood lead levels with neurobehavior and BDNF expression in school going children

BackgroundChildhood Lead (Pb) toxicity has been an ongoing concern for decades; however, its underlying pathogenesis remains unclear. Although its prevalence has come down in developed countries (USA, Europe); it is relatively high in low to middle-income countries of South-East Asia. The current study aimed to evaluate the association of blood lead levels (BLLs) with neurobehavioral alterations and changes in Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) expression in Indian school children.MethodologySchool going children in age group of 9–15 years (N = 72) were included in the study. Neurobehavioral changes were assessed using Childhood Psychopathological Measurement Schedule (CPMS) and BLL were measured by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (GFAAS). BDNF mRNA expression and serum BDNF levels were assessed by Real-Time PCR and ELISA, respectively.ResultsMedian BLL was 4.95 μg/dL (IQR = 4.47), very close to the recommended toxic cut off levels (<5 μg/dL). BLLs had a direct correlation with both CPMS scores and BDNF expression. Depression was found to be significantly higher in boys than in girls with high BLLs. BDNF mRNA expression and serum BDNF levels were higher among children with high BLL, although not to significant levels.ConclusionWe report a significant association of neurobehavioral changes with the prevalence of high Pb levels in Indian children. Additionally significant correlation of BDNF with BLL in these children suggests a causal role of BDNF in Pb induced neurological damage.