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. 2018 Jan 15;17:6. doi: 10.1186/s12940-017-0350-1

Table 4.

Adjusted odds ratio of elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels with increasing inorganic arsenic concentrations by race/ethnicity and by weight status

Model Quartile of Inorganic Arsenic [point estimate (95% Confidence Intervals)]
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
N Cases,(%)1 aOR Cases,(%)1 aOR (95%CI) Cases,(%)1 aOR (95%CI) Cases,(%)1 aOR (95%CI)
All 2 8518 506 (28%) Ref 644 (31%) 1.2 (0.7, 1.9) 736 (33%) 1.6 (1.0, 2.8) 827 (35%) 2.0 (1.2, 3.4)
Race/Ethnicity 3
Non-Hispanic White 3579 325 (30%) Ref 310 (32%) 1.1 (0.9, 1.4) 262 (32%) 1.0 (0.8, 1.3) 261(37%) 1.4 (1.1, 1.8)
Non-Hispanic Black 1828 47 (17%) Ref 92 (21%) 1.2 (0.8, 1.7) 127 (25%) 1.4 (0.9, 2.2) 153 (25%) 1.4 (0.9, 2.1)
Mexican Americans 1624 74 (30%) Ref 150 (35%) 1.5 (1.0, 2.2) 202 (39%) 1.7 (1.1, 2.6) 191 (44%) 2.0 (1.3, 3.1)
Other Hispanics 770 33 (40%) Ref 61 (39%) 0.7 (0.3, 1.3) 90 (41%) 0.9 (0.5, 1.7) 112 (36%) 0.6 (0.3, 1.1)
Other or Mixed 717 27 (24%) Ref 31 (27%) 1.1 (0.5, 2.3) 55 (34%) 1.7 (0.7, 4.2) 110 (34%) 1.7 (0.8, 3.7)
BMI Weight Group 4
Underweight/Normal 3319 146 (19%) Ref 144 (7%) 0.9 (0.7, 1.3) 168 (20%) 1.1 (0.8, 1.5) 183 (21%) 1.34 (1.0, 1.8)
Overweight 2480 159 (31%) Ref 183 (31%) 1.0 (0.8, 1.5) 213 (33%) 0.98 (0.7, 1.4) 262 (36%) 1.31 (0.9, 1.9)
Obese 2719 201 (39%) Ref 317 (46%) 1.4 (1.0, 1.9) 355 (48%) 1.3 (1.0, 1.8) 382 (48%) 1.50 (1.1, 2.0)
Obese Only 4
Non-Hispanic White 1067 134 (44%) Ref 139 (47%) 1.3 (0.9, 2.1) 129 (50%) 1.3 (0.8, 2.0) 108 (50%) 1.5 (1.0, 2.2)
Non-Hispanic Black 726 17 (18%) Ref 57 (33%) 1.7 (0.9, 3.1) 73 (37%) 2.0 (1.0, 3.9) 95 (37%) 2.0 (1.1, 3.8)
Mexican Americans 554 29 (44%) Ref 82 (57%) 1.9 (1.0, 3.5) 102 (53%) 1.4 (0.7, 2.9) 94 (61%) 1.9 (1.0, 3.5)
Other Hispanics 255 7 (37%) Ref 31 (57%) 2.8 (0.6, 13.4) 40 (57%) 3.3 (0.8, 13.9) 55 (49%) 1.9 (0.5, 7.5)
Other or Mixed 117 14 (50%) Ref 8 (44%) 0.4 (0.1, 2.2) 11 (50%) 0.5 (0.1, 2.6) 30 (61%) 0.9 (0.3, 3.3)

All model adjusted for age, survey cycle, gender, PIR, race/ethnicity, BMI Weight status, and interactions (race/ethnicity*iAS, BMI weight status*iAS)

1%cases = # with elevated ALT divided by the total in the arsenic exposure quartile + race/ethnic or weight category subgroup

2Adjusted for age, survey cycle, gender, PIR, BMI Weight status, and race/ethnicity

3Adjusted for age, survey cycle, gender, PIR, and BMI Weight status

4Adjusted for age, survey cycle, gender, PIR, and race/ethnicity

Note: High blood-ALT levels were defined as >25 IU/L for boys ≤17 years and >22 IU/L for girls ≤17 years. In adults, high ALT was defined >30 IU/L in males and >19 IU/L in females