Blood lead level is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the Yangtze River Delta region of China in the context of rapid urbanization

BACKGROUND: China has undergone rapid urbanization in the past three decades. We aimed to report blood lead level (B-Pb) in the most rapidly urbanized Yangtze River Delta Region of China, and explore the association B-Pb and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: Our data source was the SPECT-China study. We enrolled 2011 subjects from 6 villages in the Yangtze River Delta Region. Lead was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. According to abdominal ultrasound, residents were divided into normal and NAFLD groups. RESULTS: In total, 824 (41.0%) were diagnosed with NAFLD. Medians (interquartile range) of B-Pb were 5.29 μg/dL (3.60–7.28) [0.25 μmol/L (0.17–0.35)] for men and 4.49 μg/dL (2.97–6.59) [0.22 μmol/L (0.14–0.32)] for women. In both genders, the NAFLD group had significantly greater B-Pb than normal group (both P < 0.001). The prevalence of NAFLD significantly increased with increasing B-Pb quartiles in men (P for trend = 0.032) and women (P for trend = 0.001). Residents in Shanghai had significantly greater B-Pb (P < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of NAFLD (P < 0.001). Compared with women in the lowest quartile of BLL, OR of NAFLD in women in the highest quartile was 1.613 (95%CI 1.082–2.405) (P for trend = 0.019) after multivariable adjustment. In men, this association showed marginal significance (OR 2.168, 95%CI 0.989–4.750, P for trend = 0.063). CONCLUSION: B-Pb in Chinese residents in the Yangtze River Delta Region were much higher than in developed countries. Elevated B-Pb was associated with an increased risk of NAFLD, especially in women. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12940-017-0304-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.