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Jain AK, Busgang SA, Gennings C, Yates KP, Schwimmer JB, Rosenthal P, Murray KF, Molleston JP, Scheimann A, Xanthakos SA, Behling CA, Carpenter D, Fishbein M, Neuschwander-Tetri BA, Tonasia J, Vos MB. Environmental toxicants modulate disease severity in pediatric metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2024. [PMID: 39282813 DOI: 10.1002/jpn3.12346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is common in children. We hypothesized environmental toxins could drive progression to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and assayed serum toxins and metabolites in children with histologically characterized MASLD/MASH. METHODS Environmental chemicals, common in household items, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants (PBDEs), and metabolic profiles were assayed in children enrolled in the multicenter NASH Clinical Research Network Pediatric Database 2. Mixture models, using repeated holdout weighted quantile sum regression (WQSrh) were run in addition to single chemical/metabolite logistic regression. For metabolomic analyses, random subset version of WQSrh was used for the large number of predictors versus participants. Nominal and false discovery rate (FDR) p-values (two-sided) were computed. RESULTS Four hundred and thirty-five children distributed across MASH (n = 293) and MASLD (n = 142), with 304 (69.9%) males. Mean (standard deviation) for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Score (NAS) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) for MASLD were 3.1 (1.0), 67.9 (43.4), and for MASH 4.2 (1.4), 144 (121). There was an inverse association between PFAS/PBDE mixture and MASH versus MASLD, lobular inflammation (p = 0.026), NAS (p = 0.009, FDR p = 0.04), and log-transformed ALT (p = 0.005, FDR p = 0.025) driven by perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS). Metabolites from positive hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography mode, biliverdin (p = 0.002) and 1-methylhistidine (associated with meat ingestion, p = 0.02) and reverse phase negative mode, hippuric acid (solvent exposure, p = 0.022) significantly associated with MASH. CONCLUSIONS Significant negative PFAS/PBDE mixture effect and odds of MASH were dominated by PHFXS. Several metabolites are significantly associated with MASH which inform mechanistic pathways and could drive key therapeutic and diagnostic strategies in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay K Jain
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Stefanie A Busgang
- HHEAR Data Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Statistical Services and Methods Development Resource, New York, New York, USA
| | - Chris Gennings
- HHEAR Data Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Statistical Services and Methods Development Resource, New York, New York, USA
| | - Katherine P Yates
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeffrey B Schwimmer
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California and Department of Gastroenterology, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Philip Rosenthal
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Karen F Murray
- Pediatrics Institute, Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jean P Molleston
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Ann Scheimann
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Stavra A Xanthakos
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Cynthia A Behling
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, Pacific Rim Pathology, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Danielle Carpenter
- Department of Pathology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Mark Fishbein
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - James Tonasia
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Miriam B Vos
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Emory University School of Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Cui K, Li L, Li K, Xiao W, Wang Q. AOP-based framework for predicting the joint action mode of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and bisphenol A co-exposure on autism spectrum disorder. Neurotoxicology 2024; 104:75-84. [PMID: 39084265 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), also known as autism, is a common, highly hereditary and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder. The global prevalence of ASD among children continues to rise significantly, which is partially attributed to environmental pollution. It has been reported that pre- or post-natal exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) or bisphenol A (BPA), two prevalent environmental endocrine disruptors, increases the risk of ASD in offspring. Yet, the joint action mode linking DEHP and BPA with ASD is incompletely understood. This study aims to unravel the joint action mode of DEHP and BPA co-exposure on the development of ASD. An adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework was employed to integrate data from multiple public database and construct chemical-gene-phenotype-disease networks (CGPDN) for DEHP- and BPA-related ASD. Topological analysis and comprehensive literature exploration of the CGPDN were performed to build the AOP. By analysis of shared key events (KEs) or phenotypes within the AOP or the CGPDN, we uncovered two AOPs, decreased N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and estrogen antagonism that were likely linked to ASD, both with moderate confidence. Our analysis further predicted that the joint action mode of DEHP and BPA related ASD was possibly an additive or synergistic action. Thus, we propose that the co-exposure to BPA and DEHP perhaps additively or synergistically increases the risk of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanglong Cui
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ludi Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Kai Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Wusheng Xiao
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Compatibility Toxicology, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Compatibility Toxicology, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.
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Silva M, Capps S, London JK. Community-Engaged Research and the Use of Open Access ToxVal/ToxRef In Vivo Databases and New Approach Methodologies (NAM) to Address Human Health Risks From Environmental Contaminants. Birth Defects Res 2024; 116:e2395. [PMID: 39264239 PMCID: PMC11407745 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The paper analyzes opportunities for integrating Open access resources (Abstract Sifter, US EPA and NTP Toxicity Value and Toxicity Reference [ToxVal/ToxRefDB]) and New Approach Methodologies (NAM) integration into Community Engaged Research (CEnR). METHODS CompTox Chemicals Dashboard and Integrated Chemical Environment with in vivo ToxVal/ToxRef and NAMs (in vitro) databases are presented in three case studies to show how these resources could be used in Pilot Projects involving Community Engaged Research (CEnR) from the University of California, Davis, Environmental Health Sciences Center. RESULTS Case #1 developed a novel assay methodology for testing pesticide toxicity. Case #2 involved detection of water contaminants from wildfire ash and Case #3 involved contaminants on Tribal Lands. Abstract Sifter/ToxVal/ToxRefDB regulatory data and NAMs could be used to screen/prioritize risks from exposure to metals, PAHs and PFAS from wildfire ash leached into water and to investigate activities of environmental toxins (e.g., pesticides) on Tribal lands. Open access NAMs and computational tools can apply to detection of sensitive biological activities in potential or known adverse outcome pathways to predict points of departure (POD) for comparison with regulatory values for hazard identification. Open access Systematic Empirical Evaluation of Models or biomonitoring exposures are available for human subpopulations and can be used to determine bioactivity (POD) to exposure ratio to facilitate mitigation. CONCLUSIONS These resources help prioritize chemical toxicity and facilitate regulatory decisions and health protective policies that can aid stakeholders in deciding on needed research. Insights into exposure risks can aid environmental justice and health equity advocates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn Silva
- Co-Chair Community Stakeholders' Advisory Committee, University of California (UC Davis), Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC), Davis, California, USA
| | - Shosha Capps
- Co-Director Community Engagement Core, UC Davis EHSC, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jonathan K London
- Department of Human Ecology and Faculty Director Community Engagement Core, UC Davis EHSC, Sacramento, California, USA
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Song G, Liu X, Lei K, Li T, Li W, Chen D. ExpoNano: A Strategy Based on Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymers Achieves Urinary Exposome Assessment for Biomonitoring. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39096285 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c01146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Urinary analysis of exogenous and endogenous molecules constitutes an efficient, noninvasive approach to evaluate human health status. However, the exposome characterization of urinary molecules remains extremely challenging with current techniques. Herein, we develop an ExpoNano strategy based on hyper-cross-linked polymers (HCPs) to achieve ultrahigh-throughput measurement of exo/endogenous molecules in urine. The strategy includes a simple trapping-detrapping procedure (15 min) with HCPs in enzymatically treated urine, followed by mass spectrometer determination. Molecules that can be determined by ExpoNano have a wide range of molecular weight (75-837 Da) and Log Kow (octanol-water partition coefficient; -9.86 to 10.56). The HCPs can be repeatedly used five times without decreasing the trapping efficiency. Application of ExpoNano in a biomonitoring study revealed a total of 63 environmental chemicals detected in >50% of the urine pools collected from Chinese adults living in 13 cities, with a median concentration of 0.026-47 ng/mL, while nontargeted analysis detected an additional 243 exogenous molecules. Targeted and nontargeted analysis also detected 926 endogenous molecules in pooled urine. Collectively, the ExpoNano strategy demonstrates unique advantages over traditional urine analysis approaches, including a wide range of analytes, satisfactory trapping efficiency, high simplicity and reusability, and extremely reduced time demand and financial cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guixian Song
- College of Environment and Climate, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaotu Liu
- College of Environment and Climate, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Kunxiang Lei
- College of Environment and Climate, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Tiantian Li
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Public Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Wanbin Li
- College of Environment and Climate, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Da Chen
- College of Environment and Climate, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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Sotelo-Orozco J, Calafat AM, Cook Botelho J, Schmidt RJ, Hertz-Picciotto I, Bennett DH. Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals including phthalates, phenols, and parabens in infancy: Associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes in the MARBLES study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2024; 261:114425. [PMID: 39047380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are widely used compounds with the potential to affect child neurodevelopmental outcomes including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We aimed to examine the urinary concentrations of biomarkers of EDCs, including phthalates, phenols, and parabens, and investigate whether exposure during early infancy was associated with increased risk of later ASD or other non-typical development (Non-TD) or adverse cognitive development. METHODS This analysis included infants from the Markers of Autism Risks in Babies-Learning Early Signs (MARBLES) study, a high-risk ASD cohort (n = 148; corresponding to 188 urine samples). Thirty-two EDC biomarkers were quantified in urine among infants 3 and/or 6 months of age. Trends in EDC biomarker concentrations were calculated using least square geometric means. At 36 months of age, children were clinically classified as having ASD (n = 36), nontypical development (Non-TD; n = 18), or typical development (TD; n = 81) through a clinical evaluation. Trinomial logistic regression analysis was used to test the associations between biomarkers with ASD, or Non-TD, as compared to children with TD. In single analyte analysis, generalized estimating equations were used to investigate the association between each EDC biomarkers and longitudinal changes in cognitive development using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) over the four assessment time points (6, 12, 24, and 36 months of age). Additionally, quantile g-computation was used to test for a mixture effect. RESULTS EDC biomarker concentrations generally decreased over the study period, except for mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate. Overall, EDC biomarkers at 3 and/or 6 months of age were not associated with an increased risk of ASD or Non-TD, and a few showed significant inverse associations. However, when assessing longitudinal changes in MSEL scores over the four assessment time points, elevated monoethyl phthalate (MEP) was significantly associated with reduced scores in the composite score (β = -0.16, 95% CI: 0.31, -0.02) and subscales of fine motor skills (β = -0.09, 95%CI: 0.17, 0.00), and visual reception (β = -0.11, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.01). Additionally, the sum of metabolites of di (2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (ƩDEHTP) was associated with poorer visual reception (β = -0.09, 95% CI: 0.16, -0.02), and decreased composite scores (β = -0.11, 95% CI: 0.21, -0.01). Mixtures analyses using quantile g-computation analysis did not show a significant association between mixtures of EDC biomarkers and MSEL subscales or composite scores. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the potential importance of infant exposures on cognitive development. Future research can help further investigate whether early infant exposures are associated with longer-term deficits and place special attention on EDCs with increasing temporal trends and whether they may adversely affect neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie Sotelo-Orozco
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA
| | - Julianne Cook Botelho
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA; Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA; Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Lei X, Ao J, Li J, Gao Y, Zhang J, Tian Y. Maternal concentrations of environmental phenols during early pregnancy and behavioral problems in children aged 4 years from the Shanghai Birth Cohort. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 933:172985. [PMID: 38705299 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to environmental phenols such as bisphenol (BPs), paraben (PBs), benzophenone (BzPs), and triclosan (TCS) is ubiquitous and occurs in mixtures. Although some of them have been suspected to impact child behavioral development, evidence is still insufficient, and their mixed effects remain unclear. OBJECTIVES To explore the association of prenatal exposure to multiple phenols with child behavioral problems. METHOD In a sample of 600 mother-child pairs from the Shanghai Birth Cohort, we quantified 18 phenols (6 PBs, 7 BPs, 4 BzPs, and TCS) in urine samples collected during early pregnancy. Parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires were utilized to evaluate child behavioral difficulties across four subscales, namely conduct, hyperactivity/inattention, emotion, and peer relationship problems, at 4 years of age. Multivariable linear regression was conducted to estimate the relationships between single phenolic compounds and behavioral problems. Additionally, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was employed to examine the overall effects of the phenol mixture. Sex-stratified analyses were also performed. RESULTS Our population was extensively exposed to 10 phenols (direction rates >50 %), with low median concentrations (1.00 × 10-3-6.89 ng/mL). Among them, single chemical analyses revealed that 2,4-dihydroxy benzophenone (BP1), TCS, and methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (MeP) were associated with increased behavior problems, including hyperactivity/inattention (BP1: β = 0.16; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.04, 0.30), emotional problems (BP1: β = 0.11; 95 % CI: 0.02, 0.20; TCS: β = 0.08; 95 % CI: 0.02, 0.14), and peer problems (MeP: β = 0.10; 95 % CI: 0.02, 0.18); however, we did not identify any significant association with conduct problems. Further phenol mixture analyses in the WQS model yielded similar results. Stratification for child sex showed stronger positive associations in boys. CONCLUSION Our findings indicated that maternal phenol levels during early pregnancy, specifically BP1, TCS, and MeP, are associated with high behavioral problem scores in 4-year-old children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoning Lei
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, PR China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, PR China.
| | - Junjie Ao
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Jun Zhang
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, PR China
| | - Ying Tian
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, PR China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 200025 Shanghai, PR China.
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Oh J, Schweitzer JB, Buckley JP, Upadhyaya S, Kannan K, Herbstman JB, Ghassabian A, Schmidt RJ, Hertz-Picciotto I, Bennett DH. Early childhood exposures to phthalates in association with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder behaviors in middle childhood and adolescence in the ReCHARGE study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2024; 259:114377. [PMID: 38692176 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early-life exposure to phthalates alters behaviors in animals. However, epidemiological evidence on childhood phthalate exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors is limited. METHODS This study included 243 children from the ReCHARGE (Revisiting Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment) study, who were previously classified as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay, other early concerns, and typical development in the CHARGE case-control study. Twenty phthalate metabolites were measured in spot urine samples collected from children aged 2-5 years. Parents reported on children's ADHD symptoms at ages 8-18 years using Conners-3 Parent Rating Scale. Covariate-adjusted negative binomial generalized linear models were used to investigate associations between individual phthalate metabolite concentrations and raw scores. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression with repeated holdout validation was used to examine mixture effects of phthalate metabolites on behavioral scores. Effect modification by child sex was evaluated. RESULTS Among 12 phthalate metabolites detected in >75% of the samples, higher mono-2-heptyl phthalate (MHPP) was associated with higher scores on Inattentive (β per doubling = 0.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02, 0.08) and Hyperactive/Impulsive scales (β = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.07), especially among children with ASD. Higher mono-carboxy isooctyl phthalate (MCiOP) was associated with higher Hyperactivity/Impulsivity scores (β = 0.07, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.15), especially among typically developing children. The associations of the molar sum of high molecular weight (HMW) phthalate metabolites and a phthalate metabolite mixture with Hyperactivity/Impulsivity scores were modified by sex, showing more pronounced adverse associations among females. CONCLUSION Exposure to phthalates during early childhood may impact ADHD behaviors in middle childhood and adolescence, particularly among females. Although our findings may not be broadly generalizable due to the diverse diagnostic profiles within our study population, our robust findings on sex-specific associations warrant further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Oh
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Julie B Schweitzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA; UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Jessie P Buckley
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sudhi Upadhyaya
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Julie B Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Akhgar Ghassabian
- Department of Pediatrics and Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA; UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA; UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
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Svensson K, Gennings C, Lindh C, Kiviranta H, Rantakokko P, Wikström S, Bornehag CG. EDC mixtures during pregnancy and body fat at 7 years of age in a Swedish cohort, the SELMA study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 248:118293. [PMID: 38281561 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC), are "obesogens" and have been associated with overweight and obesity in children. Daily exposure to different classes of EDCs demands for research with mixtures approach. OBJECTIVES This study evaluates the association, considering sex-specific effects, between prenatal exposure to EDC mixture and children's body fat at seven years of age. METHODS A total of 26 EDCs were assessed in prenatal urine and serum samples from first trimester in pregnancy from 737 mother-child pairs participating in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy (SELMA) study. An indicator for children's "overall body fat" was calculated, using principal component analysis (PCA), based on BMI, percent body fat, waist, and skinfolds measured at seven years of age. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to assess associations between EDC mixture and children's body fat. RESULTS Principal component (PC1) represented 83.6 % of the variance, suitable as indicator for children's "overall body fat", with positive loadings of 0.40-0.42 for each body fat measure. A significant interaction term, WQS*sex, confirmed associations in the opposite direction for boys and girls. Higher prenatal exposure to EDC mixture was borderline significant with more "overall body fat" for boys (Mean β = 0.20; 95 % CI: -0.13, 0.53) and less for girls (Mean β = -0.23; 95 % CI: -0.58, 0.13). Also, higher prenatal exposure to EDC mixture was borderline significant with more percent body fat (standardized score) for boys (Mean β = 0.09; 95 % CI: -0.04, 0.21) and less for girls (Mean β = -0.10 (-0.26, 0.05). The chemicals of concern included bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS, PAH, and pesticides with different patterns for boys and girls. DISCUSSION Borderline significant associations were found between prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs and children's body fat. The associations in opposite directions suggests that prenatal exposure to EDCs may present sex-specific effects on children's body fat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hannu Kiviranta
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Panu Rantakokko
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sverre Wikström
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; Centre for Clinical Research, County Council of Värmland, Sweden
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Jiang Q, Wan Y, Zhu K, Wang H, Feng Y, Xiang Z, Liu R, Zhao S, Zhu Y, Song R. Association of exposure to phthalates and phthalate alternatives with dyslexia in Chinese primary school children. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:28392-28403. [PMID: 38538993 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32871-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown associations between children's exposure to phthalates and neurodevelopmental disorders. Whereas the impact of exposure to phthalate alternatives is understudied. This study aimed to evaluate the association of exposure to phthalates/their alternatives with the risk of dyslexia. We recruited 745 children (355 dyslexia and 390 non-dyslexia) via the Tongji Reading Environment and Dyslexia Research Project, and their urine samples were collected. A total of 26 metabolites of phthalates/their alternatives were measured. Multivariate logistic regression and quantile-based g-computation were used to estimate the associations of exposure to the phthalates/their alternatives with dyslexia. More than 80% of the children had 17 related metabolites detected in their urine samples. After adjustment, the association between mono-2-(propyl-6-hydroxy-heptyl) phthalate (OH-MPHP) with the risk of dyslexia was observed. Compared with the lowest quartile of OH-MPHP levels, the odds of dyslexia for the third quartile was 1.93 (95% CI 1.06, 3.57). Regarding mixture analyses, it was found that OH-MPHP contributed the most to the association. Further analyses stratified by sex revealed that this association was only observed in boys. Our results suggested a significantly adverse association of di-2-propylheptyl phthalate exposure with children's language abilities. It highlights the necessity to prioritize the protection of children's neurodevelopment by minimizing their exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals like di-2-propylheptyl phthalate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Jiang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE (Ministry of Education) the Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yanjian Wan
- Center for Public Health Laboratory Service, Institute of Environmental Health, Wuhan Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Wuhan, 430024, Hubei, China
| | - Kaiheng Zhu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE (Ministry of Education) the Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Haoxue Wang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE (Ministry of Education) the Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yanan Feng
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE (Ministry of Education) the Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Zhen Xiang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE (Ministry of Education) the Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Rundong Liu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE (Ministry of Education) the Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shuai Zhao
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE (Ministry of Education) the Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Ranran Song
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE (Ministry of Education) the Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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10
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Lane JM, Merced-Nieves FM, Midya V, Liu SH, Martinez-Medina S, Wright RJ, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO. Prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and childhood temporal processing in the PROGRESS Birth Cohort Study: Modification by childhood obesity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170576. [PMID: 38309331 PMCID: PMC10922956 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Children are frequently exposed to various biological trace metals, some essential for their development, while others can be potent neurotoxicants. Furthermore, the inflammatory and metabolic conditions associated with obesity may interact with and amplify the impact of metal exposure on neurodevelopment. However, few studies have assessed the potential modification effect of body mass index (BMI). As a result, we investigated the role of child BMI phenotype on the relationship between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and temporal processing. Leveraging the PROGRESS birth cohort in Mexico City, children (N = 563) aged 6-9 years completed a Temporal Response Differentiation (TRD) task where they had to hold a lever down for 10-14 s. Blood and urinary metal (As, Pb, Cd, and Mn) measurements were collected from mothers in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Child BMI z-scores were dichotomized to normal (between -2 and +0.99) and high (≥1.00). Covariate-adjusted weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were used to estimate and examine the combined effect of metal biomarkers (i.e., blood and urine) on TRD measures. Effect modification by the child's BMI was evaluated using 2-way interaction terms. Children with a high BMI and greater exposure to the metal mixture during prenatal development exhibited significant temporal processing deficits compared to children with a normal BMI. Notably, children with increased exposure to the metal mixture and higher BMI had a decrease in the percent of tasks completed (β = -10.13; 95 % CI: -19.84, -0.42), number of average holds (β = -2.15; 95 % CI: -3.88, -0.41), longer latency (β = 0.78; 95 % CI: 0.13, 1.44), and greater variability in the standard deviation of the total hold time (β = 2.08; 95 % CI: 0.34, 3.82) compared to normal BMI children. These findings implicate that high BMI may amplify the effect of metals on children's temporal processing. Understanding the relationship between metal exposures, temporal processing, and childhood obesity can provide valuable insights for developing targeted environmental interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamil M Lane
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vishal Midya
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shelley H Liu
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
| | - Sandra Martinez-Medina
- Division of Community Interventions Research, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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11
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Oh J, Kim K, Kannan K, Parsons PJ, Mlodnicka A, Schmidt RJ, Schweitzer JB, Hertz-Picciotto I, Bennett DH. Early childhood exposure to environmental phenols and parabens, phthalates, organophosphate pesticides, and trace elements in association with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in the CHARGE study. Environ Health 2024; 23:27. [PMID: 38486233 PMCID: PMC10938747 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01065-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of literature investigated childhood exposure to environmental chemicals in association with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, but limited studies considered urinary mixtures of multiple chemical classes. This study examined associations of concurrent exposure to non-persistent chemicals with ADHD symptoms in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay (DD), and typical development (TD). METHODS A total of 549 children aged 2-5 years from the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) case-control study were administered the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). This study focused on the ADHD/noncompliance subscale and its two subdomains (hyperactivity/impulsivity, inattention). Sixty-two chemicals from four classes (phenols/parabens, phthalates, organophosphate pesticides, trace elements) were quantified in child urine samples, and 43 chemicals detected in > 70% samples were used to investigate their associations with ADHD symptoms. Negative binomial regression was used for single-chemical analysis, and weighted quantile sum regression with repeated holdout validation was applied for mixture analysis for each chemical class and all chemicals. The mixture analyses were further stratified by diagnostic group. RESULTS A phthalate metabolite mixture was associated with higher ADHD/noncompliance scores (median count ratio [CR] = 1.10; 2.5th, 97.5th percentile: 1.00, 1.21), especially hyperactivity/impulsivity (median CR = 1.09; 2.5th, 97.5th percentile: 1.00, 1.25). The possible contributors to these mixture effects were di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites and mono-2-heptyl phthalate (MHPP). These associations were likely driven by children with ASD as these were observed among children with ASD, but not among TD or those with DD. Additionally, among children with ASD, a mixture of all chemicals was associated with ADHD/noncompliance and hyperactivity/impulsivity, and possible contributors were 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid, DEHP metabolites, MHPP, mono-n-butyl phthalate, and cadmium. CONCLUSIONS Early childhood exposure to a phthalate mixture was associated with ADHD symptoms, particularly among children with ASD. While the diverse diagnostic profiles limited generalizability, our findings suggest a potential link between phthalate exposure and the comorbidity of ASD and ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Oh
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Kyoungmi Kim
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA
- UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Patrick J Parsons
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Agnieszka Mlodnicka
- UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA
- UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Julie B Schweitzer
- UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA
- UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA
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12
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Kaplan ZB, Pearce EN, Lee SY, Shin HM, Schmidt RJ. Maternal Thyroid Dysfunction During Pregnancy as an Etiologic Factor in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Challenges and Opportunities for Research. Thyroid 2024; 34:144-157. [PMID: 38149625 PMCID: PMC10884547 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2023.0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with unknown etiology. Both genetic and environmental factors have been associated with ASD. Environmental exposures during the prenatal period may play an important role in ASD development. This narrative review critically examines the evidence for a relationship between maternal thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy and ASD in the child. Summary: Studies that assessed the associations of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroxinemia, thyroid hormone concentrations, or autoimmune thyroid disease with ASD outcomes were included. Most research focused on the relationship between hypothyroidism and ASD. Multiple population-based studies found that maternal hypothyroidism was associated with higher likelihood of an ASD diagnosis in offspring. Associations with other forms of maternal thyroid dysfunction were less consistent. Findings may have been affected by misclassification bias, survival bias, or publication bias. Studies using medical records may have misclassified subclinical thyroid dysfunction as euthyroidism. Two studies that assessed children at early ages may have misclassified those with ASD as typically developing. Most studies adjusted for maternal body mass index (BMI) and/or mental illness, but not interpregnancy interval or pesticide exposure, all factors associated with fetal survival and ASD. Most studies reported a combination of null and statistically significant findings, although publication bias is still possible. Conclusions: Overall, evidence supported a positive association between maternal thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy and ASD outcomes in the child, especially for hypothyroidism. Future studies could reduce misclassification bias by using laboratory measures instead of medical records to ascertain thyroid dysfunction and evaluating children for ASD at an age when it can be reliably detected. Survival bias could be further mitigated by adjusting models for more factors associated with fetal survival and ASD. Additional research is needed to comprehensively understand the roles of maternal levothyroxine treatment, iodine deficiency, or exposure to thyroid-disrupting compounds in the relationship between maternal thyroid dysfunction and child ASD outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe B. Kaplan
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth N. Pearce
- Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition, and Weight Management, Boston University Chobanian & Avesidian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sun Y. Lee
- Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition, and Weight Management, Boston University Chobanian & Avesidian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hyeong-Moo Shin
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
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13
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Midya V, Alcala CS, Rechtman E, Gregory JK, Kannan K, Hertz-Picciotto I, Teitelbaum SL, Gennings C, Rosa MJ, Valvi D. Machine Learning Assisted Discovery of Interactions between Pesticides, Phthalates, Phenols, and Trace Elements in Child Neurodevelopment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:18139-18150. [PMID: 37595051 PMCID: PMC10666542 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of literature suggests that developmental exposure to individual or mixtures of environmental chemicals (ECs) is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, investigating the effect of interactions among these ECs can be challenging. We introduced a combination of the classical exposure-mixture Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression and a machine-learning method termed Signed iterative Random Forest (SiRF) to discover synergistic interactions between ECs that are (1) associated with higher odds of ASD diagnosis, (2) mimic toxicological interactions, and (3) are present only in a subset of the sample whose chemical concentrations are higher than certain thresholds. In a case-control Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) study, we evaluated multiordered synergistic interactions among 62 ECs measured in the urine samples of 479 children in association with increased odds for ASD diagnosis (yes vs no). WQS-SiRF identified two synergistic two-ordered interactions between (1) trace-element cadmium (Cd) and the organophosphate pesticide metabolite diethyl-phosphate (DEP); and (2) 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP-246) and DEP. Both interactions were suggestively associated with increased odds of ASD diagnosis in the subset of children with urinary concentrations of Cd, DEP, and TCP-246 above the 75th percentile. This study demonstrates a novel method that combines the inferential power of WQS and the predictive accuracy of machine-learning algorithms to discover potentially biologically relevant chemical-chemical interactions associated with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Midya
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Cecilia Sara Alcala
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Elza Rechtman
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Jill K. Gregory
- Instructional
Technology Group,Icahn School of Medicine
at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Department
of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department
of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
- UC
Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Institute, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California 95817, United States
| | - Susan L. Teitelbaum
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Maria J. Rosa
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Damaskini Valvi
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
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14
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Svensson K, Gennings C, Lindh C, Kiviranta H, Rantakokko P, Wikström S, Bornehag CG. Prenatal exposures to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals and sex-specific associations with children's BMI and overweight at 5.5 years of age in the SELMA study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 179:108176. [PMID: 37672941 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) has the potential to disrupt human metabolism. Prenatal periods are especially sensitive as many developmental processes are regulated by hormones. Prenatal exposure to EDCs has inconsistently been associated with children's body mass index (BMI) and obesity. The objective of this study was to investigate if prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with children's BMI and overweight (ISO-BMI ≥ 25) at 5.5 years of age, and if there were sex-specific effects. METHODS A total of 1,105 mother-child pairs with complete data on prenatal EDCs concentrations (e.g., phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, phenols, PAH, pesticides, PFAS, organochlorine pesticides, and PCBs), children's measured height and weight, and selected covariates in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy (SELMA) study were included in this analysis. The mixture effect of EDCs with children's BMI and overweight was assessed using WQS regression with 100 repeated holdouts. A positively associated WQS index with higher BMI and odds of overweight was derived. Models with interaction term and stratified weights by sex was applied in order to evaluate sex-specific associations. RESULTS A significant WQS*sex interaction term was identified and associations for boys and girls were in opposite directions. Higher prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with lower BMI (Mean β = -0.19, 95%CI: -0.40, 0.01) and lower odds of overweight (Mean OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.48, 1.04) among girls with borderline significance. However, the association among boys did not reach statistical significance. Among girls, the possible chemicals of concern were MEP, 2-OHPH, BPF, BPS, DPP and PFNA. CONCLUSION Prenatal exposure to a mixture of EDCs was associated with lower BMI and overweight among girls, and non-significant associations among boys. Chemicals of concern for girls included phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, bisphenols, PAHs, and PFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hannu Kiviranta
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Panu Rantakokko
- Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sverre Wikström
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; Centre for Clinical Research and Education, County Council of Värmland, Sweden; School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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15
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Mervish N, Valle C, Teitelbaum SL. Epidemiologic Advances Generated by the Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource Program. CURR EPIDEMIOL REP 2023; 10:148-157. [PMID: 38318392 PMCID: PMC10840994 DOI: 10.1007/s40471-023-00323-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Mervish
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
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16
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Özel F, Stratmann M, Lindh C, Gennings C, Bornehag CG, Rüegg J. Prenatal exposure to phthalates and gender-specific play behavior at seven years of age in the SELMA study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 178:108029. [PMID: 37331180 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence shows that prenatal exposure to phthalates affects child development. Since many phthalates have been shown to alter endocrine signaling, they may influence reproductive development, neurodevelopment, and child behavior. Indeed, a few studies reported associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and gender-specific play behavior. However, evidence for this relationship is limited, and previous findings are based on single phthalates, while human exposure entails mixtures of chemicals. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the associations between prenatal exposure to single phthalates, as well as a phthalate mixture, and gender-specific play behavior. METHODS A total of 715 mother-child pairs from the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal, Mother and Child, Asthma and Allergy (SELMA) study were included. In the median week 10 of pregnancy, phthalate metabolites were measured in urine. Gender-specific play behavior was measured with Preschool Activities Inventory at the age of seven years. Linear and weighted quantile sum regressions were used; data was stratified by sex. Models were adjusted for child and maternal age, maternal education, parental attitudes toward play behavior, and urinary creatinine concentration. RESULTS For boys, single compound analyses revealed negative associations of prenatal exposure to di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) concentrations with masculine (β = -1.44; 95% CI = -2.72, -0.16) and composite (β = -1.43; 95% CI = -2.72, -0.13) scores. Suggestive associations were also observed with a mixture approach identifying DINP as the main contributor of the association of decreased masculine play. Among girls, higher urinary concentrations of 2,4-methyl-7-oxyooctyl-oxycarbonyl-cyclohexane carboxylic acid (MOiNCH) was associated with decreased feminine (β = -1.59; 95% CI = -2.62, -0.57) and masculine scores (β = -1.22; 95% CI = -2.14, -0.29), whereas the mixture analyses did not yield conclusive results for girls. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest associations of prenatal exposure to DINP with decreased masculine play behavior in boys while the results for girls were not fully conclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatih Özel
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Centre for Women's Mental Health during the Reproductive Lifespan - Womher, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
| | - Marlene Stratmann
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joëlle Rüegg
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
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17
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Khalfallah O, Barbosa S, Phillippat C, Slama R, Galera C, Heude B, Glaichenhaus N, Davidovic L. Cytokines as mediators of the associations of prenatal exposure to phenols, parabens, and phthalates with internalizing behaviours at age 3 in boys: A mixture exposure and mediation approach. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 229:115865. [PMID: 37062478 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Childhood internalizing disorders refer to inwardly focused negative behaviours such as anxiety, depression, and somatic complains. Interactions between psychosocial, genetic, and environmental risk factors adversely impact neurodevelopment and can contribute to internalizing disorders. While prenatal exposure to single endocrine disruptors (EDs) is associated with internalizing behaviours in infants, the associations with prenatal exposure to EDs in mixture remain poorly addressed. In addition, the biological mediators of EDs in mixture effects on internalizing behaviours remain unexplored. EDs do not only interfere with endocrine function, but also with immune function and inflammatory processes. Based on this body of evidence, we hypothetised that inflammation at birth is a plausible biological pathway through which prenatal exposure to EDs in mixture could operate to influence offspring internalizing behaviours. Based on the EDEN birth cohort, we investigated whether exposure to a mixture of EDs increased the odds of internalizing disorders in 459 boy infants at age 3, and whether the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α measured at birth were mediators of this effect. To determine both the joint and individual associations of prenatal exposure to EDs with infant internalizing behaviours and the possible mediating role of cytokines, we used the counterfactual hierarchical Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) regression-causal mediation analysis. We show that prenatal exposure to a complex mixture of EDs has limited effects on internalizing behaviours in boys at age 3. We also show that IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α are unlikely mediators or suppressors of ED mixture effects on internalizing behaviours in boys at age 3. Further studies on larger cohorts are warranted to refine the deleterious effects of EDs in mixtures on internalizing behaviours and identify possible mediating pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olfa Khalfallah
- Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France.
| | - Susana Barbosa
- Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Claire Phillippat
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Remy Slama
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Cédric Galera
- Institut National de La Santé et de La Recherche Médicale UMR 1219, Bordeaux Population Health Centre, Université de Bordeaux, Hôpital Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Glaichenhaus
- Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France; Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France
| | - Laetitia Davidovic
- Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France; Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.
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18
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Li Y, Xiao N, Liu M, Liu Y, He A, Wang L, Luo H, Yao Y, Sun H. Dysregulation of steroid metabolome in follicular fluid links phthalate exposure to diminished ovarian reserve of childbearing-age women. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 330:121730. [PMID: 37116568 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The widespread use of phthalates (PAEs) has drawn increasing attention due to their endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity, while the steroid metabolome is essential for follicular development. However, the mechanism by which PAE exposure affects ovarian reserve through the steroid metabolome remains unclear. This study recruited 264 childbearing-age women in Tianjin (China) from April 2019 to August 2020 in a cross-sectional design. Target metabolome analysis of 16 steroids was performed in follicular fluid (FF) to compare diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) against normal ovarian reserve (NOR) women and differential steroids were identified using binary logistic analyses. Further analysis of eleven PAE metabolites (mPAEs) in FF was conducted, and the retrieved oocyte number (RON) representing ovarian reserve was counted. Multiple linear regression and quantile-based g-computation (qgcomp) models were used to associate individual mPAEs and mPAE mixture with the DOR-related differential steroids in FF. Mediation analysis was used to discuss the mediating effect of DOR-related steroids on the association between mPAEs and RON. Androstenedione (A4), corticosterone (CORT), cortisol (COR) and cortisone were significantly down-regulated in FF from women with DOR. Nine mPAEs with detection frequencies greater than 60% and median concentrations of 0.02-4.86 ng/mL were incorporated into statistical models. Negative associations with COR and CORT were found for mono-ethyl phthalate (mEP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (mEOHP), and mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (mEHP). A positive association with cortisone was found for mEOHP, mEHP, monobutyl phthalate (mBP), and mono (2-isobutyl) phthalate (miBP). The qgcomp and mediation analyses revealed that mEP and mEOHP not only significantly contributed to the decline of COR and CORT in the mixed exposure but also indirectly reduced RON through the mediating effects of COR and CORT. In conclusion, PAE exposure may decrease ovarian reserve by downregulating COR and CORT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongcheng Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Nan Xiao
- Department of Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Nankai University Affiliated Maternity Hospital/ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Tianjin, 300100, China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Capital Medical University Affiliated Shijitan Hospital, No. 10, Tieyi Road, Yangfangdian Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Yarui Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ana He
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Haining Luo
- Department of Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Nankai University Affiliated Maternity Hospital/ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Human Development and Reproductive Regulation, Tianjin, 300100, China
| | - Yiming Yao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Hongwen Sun
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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19
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Oh J, Kim K, Kannan K, Parsons PJ, Mlodnicka A, Schmidt RJ, Schweitzer JB, Hertz-Picciotto I, Bennett DH. Early childhood exposure to environmental phenols and parabens, phthalates, organophosphate pesticides, and trace elements in association with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in the CHARGE study. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2565914. [PMID: 36798220 PMCID: PMC9934759 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2565914/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Background Agrowing body of literature investigated childhood exposure to environmental chemicals in association with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, but limited studies considered urinary mixtures of multiple chemical classes. This study examined associations of concurrent exposure to non-persistent chemicals with ADHD symptoms in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay, and typical development. Methods A total of 574 children aged 2-5 years from the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) case-control study was administered the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). This study focused on the Hyperactivity subscale and its two subdomains (hyperactivity/impulsivity, inattention). Sixty-two chemicals from four classes (phenols/parabens, phthalates, organophosphate pesticides, trace elements) were quantified in child urine samples, and 43 chemicals detected in >70% samples were used in statistical analyses. Weighted quantile sum regression for negative binomial outcomes with repeated holdout validation was performed to investigate covariate-adjusted associations between mixtures and ABC scores in 574 children. The mixture analyses were further restricted to 232 children with ASD. Results Phthalate metabolite mixtures, weighted for mono-n-butylphthalate (MNBP), mono-2-heptyl phthalate, and mono-carboxy isononyl phthalate, were associated with the Hyperactivity subscale (mean incidence rate ratio [mIRR] = 1.11; 2.5th, 97.5th percentile: 1.00, 1.23), especially the hyperactivity/impulsivity subdomain (mIRR = 1.14; 2.5th, 97.5th percentile: 1.06, 1.26). These associations remained similar after restricting to children with ASD. The inattention subdomain was associated with a phenols/parabens mixture, weighted for several parabens and bisphenols (mIRR = 1.13; 2.5th, 97.5th percentile: 1.00, 1.28) and a total mixture, weighted for 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid, MNBR and mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (mIRR = 1.11; 2.5th, 97.5th percentile: 1.01,1.25) only among children with ASD. Conclusions Concurrent exposure to phthalate mixtures was associated with hyperactivity in early childhood. Though causal inference cannot be made based on our cross-sectional findings, this study warrants further research on mixtures of larger number of chemicals from multiple classes in association with ADHD-related behaviors in young children.
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20
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Oh J, Shin HM, Kannan K, Busgang SA, Schmidt RJ, Schweitzer JB, Hertz-Picciotto I, Bennett DH. Childhood exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and neurodevelopment in the CHARGE case-control study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 215:114322. [PMID: 36108719 PMCID: PMC9976729 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are shown to have neurotoxic effects on animals, but epidemiological evidence for associations between childhood PFAS exposure and neurodevelopment is inconclusive. We examined if childhood PFAS concentrations are associated with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay (DD), and other early concerns (OEC) in development. METHODS We included 551 children 2-5 years old from the CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) case-control study. Children were clinically diagnosed and classified as having ASD, DD, OEC, and typical development (TD). Fourteen PFAS were quantified in child serum samples collected when diagnostic assessments were performed. We used multinomial logistic regression models to investigate the cross-sectional associations of individual PFAS concentrations with neurodevelopmental outcomes and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models with repeated holdout validation to investigate the associations with PFAS mixtures. RESULTS Childhood perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was associated with increased odds of ASD (odds ratio [OR] per ln ng/mL increase: 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20, 3.29) and DD (OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.21, 3.84) versus TD. Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) was associated with increased odds of ASD (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.13). However, perfluroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) was associated with decreased odds of ASD (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.69). From mixture analyses, the WQS index was associated with increased odds of ASD (average OR: 1.57, 5th and 95th percentile: 1.16, 2.13). Child's sex and homeownership modified associations of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) with DD and ASD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In this case-control study, childhood PFOA, PFHpA, and a PFAS mixture was associated with increased odds of ASD, while PFUnDA was associated with decreased odds of ASD. Because we used concurrent measurements of PFAS, our results do not imply causal relationships and thus need to be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Oh
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Hyeong-Moo Shin
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stefanie A Busgang
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca J Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA; UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Julie B Schweitzer
- UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA; UC Davis MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis (UC Davis), Davis, CA, USA
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21
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Parenti M, Schmidt RJ, Ozonoff S, Shin HM, Tancredi DJ, Krakowiak P, Hertz-Picciotto I, Walker CK, Slupsky CM. Maternal Serum and Placental Metabolomes in Association with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in the MARBLES Cohort. Metabolites 2022; 12:829. [PMID: 36144233 PMCID: PMC9500898 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12090829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to phthalates, a family of endocrine-disrupting plasticizers, is associated with disruption of maternal metabolism and impaired neurodevelopment. We investigated associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and alterations of both the maternal third trimester serum metabolome and the placental metabolome at birth, and associations of these with child neurodevelopmental outcomes using data and samples from the Markers of Autism Risk in Babies Learning Early Signs (MARBLES) cohort. The third trimester serum (n = 106) and placental (n = 132) metabolomes were investigated using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Children were assessed clinically for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cognitive development. Although none of the urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations were associated with maternal serum metabolites after adjustment for covariates, mixture analysis using quantile g-computation revealed alterations in placental metabolites with increasing concentrations of phthalate metabolites that included reduced concentrations of 2-hydoxybutyrate, carnitine, O-acetylcarnitine, glucitol, and N-acetylneuraminate. Child neurodevelopmental outcome was not associated with the third trimester serum metabolome, but it was correlated with the placental metabolome in male children only. Maternal phthalate exposure during pregnancy is associated with differences in the placental metabolome at delivery, and the placental metabolome is associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in males in a cohort with high familial ASD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Parenti
- Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Schmidt
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sally Ozonoff
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Hyeong-Moo Shin
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Daniel J. Tancredi
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Paula Krakowiak
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Cheryl K. Walker
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Carolyn M. Slupsky
- Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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22
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Gama J, Neves B, Pereira A. Chronic Effects of Dietary Pesticides on the Gut Microbiome and Neurodevelopment. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:931440. [PMID: 35847088 PMCID: PMC9279132 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.931440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many agricultural pesticides include substances that are known to be harmful to human health and while some have been banned from developed countries, they are still being used in developing countries such as Brazil. Recent studies have shown that low-level chronic dietary exposure to pesticides can affect the human gut microbiota. This possible hazardous effect of pesticides on human health has not been specifically recognized by government regulatory agencies. In Brazil, for instance, of the 10 best-selling active ingredients in pesticides in 2019, two are considered extremely toxic, Paraquat and Chlorpyrifos. Even though Paraquat has been banned in Brazil since 2020, the values of maximum residue limits (MRLs) of toxic pesticides allowed in the country are still higher than in other countries. Unfortunately, many developing countries still lack the resources and expertise needed to monitor adequately and systematically the presence of pesticide residues on food. In this work, we raise awareness to the danger the chronic exposure to high dietary levels of pesticides can pose to the public, especially considering their prolonged effects on the gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gama
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Bianca Neves
- Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Antonio Pereira
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Institute of Technology, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
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23
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Busgang SA, Waller LA, Colicino E, D’Agostino R, Hertz-Picciotto I, Gennings C. Selecting External Controls for Internal Cases Using Stratification Score Matching Methods. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:2549. [PMID: 35270242 PMCID: PMC8909853 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Rare-disease registries can be useful for studying the associations between environmental exposures and disease severity, but often require the addition of a healthy comparison control group. Defining a surrogate control group, matched and balanced on potentially confounding variables, would allow for the comparison of exposure distributions with cases from a registry. In the present study, we assess whether controls selected externally, using stratification score (SS) matching, can serve as effective proxies for internal controls. In addition, we use methyl paraben (MEPB) to compare the estimated associations between an externally matched sample and case-control frequencies in a cohort with internally matched controls. We started with 225 eligible cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE), 241 internal controls from CHARGE, and 265 external controls from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles 2005-2016. We calculated the SSs using demographic covariates and matched 1:1 using a caliper method without a replacement. The distribution of the covariates and the mean squared error of the paired differences (MSEpaired) in the SSs between the internal and external group were similar (MSEpaired = 0.007 and 0.011, respectively). The association between MEPB and ASD compared to the controls was similar between the externally matched SS pairs and the original frequency matched cohort. Controls selected externally, via SS matching, can provide a comparable bias reduction to that provided by the internal controls, and therefore may be a useful strategy in situations when the internal controls are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie A. Busgang
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (E.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Lance A. Waller
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA;
| | - Elena Colicino
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (E.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Ralph D’Agostino
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA;
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (E.C.); (C.G.)
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24
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Williams LA, LaSalle JM. Future Prospects for Epigenetics in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mol Diagn Ther 2022; 26:569-579. [PMID: 35962910 PMCID: PMC9626414 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-022-00608-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite decades of investigation into the genetics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a current consensus in the field persists that ASD risk is too heterogeneous to be diagnosed by a single set of genetic variants. As such, ASD research has broadened to include assessment of other molecular biomarkers implicated in the condition that may be reflective of environmental exposures or gene by environment interactions. Epigenetic variance, and specifically differential DNA methylation, have emerged as areas of particularly high interest to ASD, as the epigenetic markers from specific chromatin loci collectively can reflect influences of multiple genetic and environmental factors and can also result in differential gene expression patterns. This review examines recent studies of the ASD epigenome, detailing common gene pathways found to be differentially methylated in people with ASD, and considers how these discoveries may inform our understanding of ASD etiology. We also consider future applications of epigenetics in ASD research and clinical practice, focusing on substratification, biomarker development, and experimental preclinical models of ASD that test causality. In combination with other -omics approaches, epigenomics allows an improved conceptualization of the multifactorial nature of ASD, and opens future lines of inquiry for both basic research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan A. Williams
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Janine M. LaSalle
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA
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