Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for a number of diseases.
Some of those inflammatory responses are induced also in target cells and contribute to cell transformation, but it is not certain which of the induced factors are necessary for the transformation process to occur. Knowing that would allow for post-exposure targeted amelioration of the detrimental health effects. We chose nickel and arsenic, two seemingly different metals, to test this hypothesis, because both contribute to oxidative stress and they share immunosuppressive properties. Thus, this study should identify inflammatory factors needed for malignant cell transformation, means to suppress it after metal exposure, and factors that can provide a useful measure of inter-individual differences in responses to metal toxicants, which may be applicable in future screening of people exposed to Superfund sites.