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Hadavifar M, Mohammadnia E, Rasaeifar S, Heidarian Miri H, Rastakhiz M, Souvizi B, Mohammad-Zadeh M, Akrami R, Kazemi A. Determination of toxic metal burden and related risk factors in pregnant women: a biological monitoring in Sabzevar, Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:78901-78912. [PMID: 35699879 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20510-9] [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: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, the adverse effect of toxic metals on humans is well known, especially in the fetal period such as preventing cognitive development and congenital abnormalities of the central nervous system. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the toxic metal burden in mothers and newborns in Sabzevar. Obtained data can be useful for authorities in public health issues. To determine heavy metals in placental blood and umbilical cord blood, one hundred eighty blood samples were taken from ninety mothers referred to Shahidan Mobini Hospital for delivery. The amount of metals in samples was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). The results of this study revealed that 21.52%, 26.19%, and 60.71% of maternal blood samples (placental blood) and 16.47%, 56.47%, and 20% of umbilical cord blood samples were higher than the US center for disease control (CDC) recommended levels for Pb, Cd, and As respectively. According to the multiple linear regression analysis, the Pb (p = 0.054), As (p < 0.001), and Se (p < 0.001) levels had an association with the mother's living area. Also, there was a significant association between Se (0.021) and the age of the mother. However, the Se values in its optimum concentrations in the blood (60-140 μg/L) can decrease the adverse effects of toxic metals, 72.5% of the pregnant women had Se values below the 60 μg/L and only 6% of pregnant women had Se levels higher than 140 μg/L. We concluded that the mothers inhabiting the rural areas need more Se sources in their diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Hadavifar
- Environmental Sciences Department, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Esmail Mohammadnia
- Environmental Sciences Department, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
| | | | - Hamid Heidarian Miri
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Behnaz Souvizi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mohammad-Zadeh
- Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Rahim Akrami
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ali Kazemi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Arak University, Arak, Iran
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Shih YH, Chen HY, Christensen K, Handler A, Turyk ME, Argos M. Prenatal exposure to multiple metals and birth outcomes: An observational study within the National Children's Study cohort. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 147:106373. [PMID: 33422966 PMCID: PMC7855942 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to metals may play an important role in fetal growth. However, the epidemiologic evidence for certain metals is sparse, and most of the existing research has focused on evaluating single metals in highly exposed target populations. OBJECTIVES We evaluated associations of cadmium, lead, manganese, selenium, and total mercury exposures during pregnancy with fetal growth using data from mother-infant pairs participating in the National Children's Study. METHODS Prenatal metal exposures were measured using maternal blood collected from 6 to 32 weeks of gestation. Birth outcomes, including gestational age, birthweight, birth length, head circumference, and ponderal index, were ascertained through physical measurement at birth or abstraction from medical records. Regression coefficients and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated from multivariable linear regression models in the overall study population as well as among male and female infants. We further evaluated pairwise metal-metal interactions. RESULTS Sex-specific associations were observed for lead, with inverse associations for birthweight, birth length, head circumference, and gestational age observed only among female infants. Sex-specific associations were also observed for selenium, with a positive association for birthweight observed among male infants; selenium was also positively associated with ponderal index and inversely associated with birth length among female infants. Overall, total mercury was inversely associated with birthweight and ponderal index, and the association with birthweight was stronger among female infants. No significant associations were observed with cadmium and manganese. In the metal-metal interaction analyses, we found evidence of a synergistic interaction between lead and total mercury and antagonistic interaction between selenium and total mercury with selected birth outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to metals may be related to birth outcomes, and infant sex may modify these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsuan Shih
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Hua Yun Chen
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | | | - Arden Handler
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Mary E Turyk
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Maria Argos
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States.
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Yıldırım E, Derici MK, Demir E, Apaydın H, Koçak Ö, Kan Ö, Görkem Ü. Is the Concentration of Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, and Selenium Related to Preterm Birth? Biol Trace Elem Res 2019; 191:306-312. [PMID: 30600504 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-018-1625-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Environmental pollution and exposure of people to heavy metals cause many bad obstetric outcomes. Our aim is to demonstrate the role of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) in preterm labor etiology with a case-control study. In this study, between November 2017 and April 2018, preterm delivery mothers and term delivery mothers were compared in Çorum, Turkey. All deliveries were performed with cesarean sections and there were 30 mothers in the control group and 20 in the study group. The maternal blood, maternal urine, umbilical cord blood, and heavy metal levels in the amnion fluid in both groups were studied. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine the blood concentration of Cd, Pb, Hg, and Se. We found lower levels of selenium in blood and urine of preterm delivery mothers and umbilical cord and amnion fluids of preterm infants (p < 0.01). We found a statistically significant positive correlation at selenium levels between mother's blood and umbilical cord blood (r (50) = 0.896, p < 0.001) and between maternal urine and amniotic fluid (r (50) = 0.841, p < 0.001). We have not found a similar correlation between mother and fetus of other metals (p > 0.05). We found that selenium levels were lower in mothers who were preterm birth in the light of the data in our study. We could not determine the positive or negative correlation of Cd, Pb, and Hg levels in blood, urine, and amniotic fluid samples with preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Engin Yıldırım
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hitit University, Corum, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Kürşat Derici
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Kirikkale University, Yahsihan, Kirikkale, Turkey.
| | - Emre Demir
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Hitit University, Corum, Turkey
| | - Hakan Apaydın
- HUBTUAM Research Center, Hitit University, Corum, Turkey
| | - Özgür Koçak
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hitit University, Corum, Turkey
| | - Özgür Kan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hitit University, Corum, Turkey
| | - Ümit Görkem
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hitit University, Corum, Turkey
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Kot K, Kosik-Bogacka D, Łanocha-Arendarczyk N, Malinowski W, Szymański S, Mularczyk M, Tomska N, Rotter I. Interactions between 14 Elements in the Human Placenta, Fetal Membrane and Umbilical Cord. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16091615. [PMID: 31071998 PMCID: PMC6540151 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16091615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate relationships between the concentrations of macroelements (Ca), microelements (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sn, Sr, V, Zn) and heavy metals (Ag, Cd, Pb) in the placenta, fetal membrane and umbilical cord. Furthermore, we examined relationships between the concentrations of these metals in the studied afterbirths and maternal age, gestational age, placenta parameters (breadth, length, weight) and newborn parameters (length, weight and Apgar score). This study confirms previously reported Zn-Cd, Pb-Cd and Ni-Pb interactions in the placenta. New types of interactions in the placenta, fetal membrane and umbilical cord were also noted. Analysis of the correlations between metal elements in the afterbirths (placenta, fetal membrane and umbilical cord) and biological parameters showed the following relationships: maternal age and Mn (in the fetal membrane); gestational age and Cr, Fe, Zn (in the fetal membrane), Ag and Cu (in the umbilical cord); newborn’s length and Sr (in the placenta), Ag (in the umbilical cord); newborn’s weight and Sr (in the placenta), Cu (in the fetal membrane), Ag (in the umbilical cord); Apgar score and Ca, Cr and Ni (in the umbilical cord); placenta’s length and Cr and Sn (in the fetal membrane), Cu (in the umbilical cord); placenta’s width and Mo, Pb (in the placenta) and placenta weight and Sr (in the placenta), Ag, Fe, Mn (in the fetal membrane). The results show the influence of metals on the placenta, mother and newborn parameters, and the same point indicates the essential trace elements during the course of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Kot
- Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstanców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Danuta Kosik-Bogacka
- Independent of Pharmaceutical Botany, Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Natalia Łanocha-Arendarczyk
- Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstanców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Witold Malinowski
- Department of Obstetrical and Gynecological Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Zolnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Sławomir Szymański
- Department of Obstetrical and Gynecological Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Zolnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Maciej Mularczyk
- Chair and Department of Human and Clinical Anatomy, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstanców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Natalia Tomska
- Department of Medical Rehabilitation and Clinical Physiotherapy, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Zolnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Iwona Rotter
- Department of Medical Rehabilitation and Clinical Physiotherapy, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Zolnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland.
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Kerr BT, Ochs-Balcom HM, López P, García-Vargas GG, Rosado JL, Cebrián ME, Kordas K. Effects of ALAD genotype on the relationship between lead exposure and anthropometry in a Cohort of Mexican children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 170:65-72. [PMID: 30557693 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Lead exposure is associated with children's growth, but this relationship may depend on the presence of susceptibility factors, including genetic variation. Blood lead levels (BLL) differ by ALAD (aminolevulinic acid dehydratase) genotype. We investigated the association between BLL and growth in Mexican first-graders with different ALAD genotypes. METHODS Children between the ages of 6-8 years (n = 602) attending first grade in schools within the vicinity of a metal foundry in Torreón, Mexico were enrolled into a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of iron and/or zinc supplementation on blood lead levels (BLL) and cognition. BLL and anthropometry were assessed at baseline (height, height-for-age z-score (HAZ), knee height, head circumference), after 6 (head circumference) and 12 months (height, HAZ, knee height). Children with ALAD1-1 and ALAD1-2/2-2 were compared. The study sample included 538 and 470 participants who had complete data at baseline and follow-up, respectively. Separate multivariable linear regression models adjusted for covariates were used to test the association between BLL at baseline and each anthropometric measure. Covariates included age, sex, hemoglobin, crowding, and maternal education. BLL x ALAD genotype interaction term was tested. RESULTS Median BLL (10.1 μg/dL) did not differ by ALAD genotype. After covariate adjustment, baseline BLL was inversely associated with baseline height, HAZ, and knee height. The association (β [95% CI]) between BLL and baseline height (-0.38[-0.68, -0.09]), HAZ (-0.07[-0.12, -0.02]) and knee height (-0.14[-0.25, -0.02]), was somewhat stronger in children with ALAD1-2/2-2 than ALAD1-1 (-0.09[-0.16, -0.02], -0.02[-0.03, -0.004] and -0.04[-0.06, -0.01], respectively). No associations between BLL and growth at 6 or 12 months were detected irrespective of ALAD genotype. CONCLUSIONS BLL was adversely associated with anthropometric measures among Mexican children. ALAD genotype may be a susceptibility factor for the effects of lead on child growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan T Kerr
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Heather M Ochs-Balcom
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Patricia López
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Jorge L Rosado
- Escuela de Nutrición, Universidad de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | - Katarzyna Kordas
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Horton MK, Hsu L, Claus Henn B, Margolis A, Austin C, Svensson K, Schnaas L, Gennings C, Hu H, Wright R, Rojo MMT, Arora M. Dentine biomarkers of prenatal and early childhood exposure to manganese, zinc and lead and childhood behavior. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 121:148-158. [PMID: 30205321 PMCID: PMC6373872 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metal exposure alters neurodevelopmental outcomes; little is known about critical windows of susceptibility when exposure exerts the strongest effect. OBJECTIVE To examine associations between dentine biomarkers of manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) and later childhood behaviors. METHODS Subjects enrolled in a longitudinal birth cohort study in Mexico City provided naturally shed deciduous teeth. We estimated weekly prenatal and postnatal dentine Mn, Zn and Pb concentrations in teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and measured behavior at ages 8-11 years of age using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2). We used distributed lag models and lagged weighted quantile sum regression to identify the role of individual and combined dentine biomarkers of Mn, Zn and Pb on behavioral outcomes controlling for maternal education and gestational age. RESULTS Among the 133 subjects included in this study, prenatal and early postnatal dentine Mn appeared protective against childhood behavioral problems, specifically hyperactivity and attention. Postnatal dentine Mn was associated with increased reporting of internalizing problems, specifically anxiety. At 6 months, a 1-unit increase (unit = 1 SD of log concentration) in Mn was associated with a 0.18-unit (unit = 1 SD of BASC-2 score) increase in internalizing symptoms score and a 0.25-unit increase in anxiety. Postnatal Pb was associated with increasing anxiety symptoms; at 12 months, a 1-unit increase in Pb was associated with a 0.4 unit increase in anxiety symptoms. When examined as a metal mixture, we observed two potential windows of susceptibility to increased anxiety symptoms: the first window (0-8 months) appeared driven by Mn, the second window (8-12 months) was driven by the metal mixture and dominated by Pb. A 1-unit increase in the mixture index was associated with a 0.7-unit increase in SD of anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Childhood behaviors may demonstrate postnatal windows of susceptibility to individual and mixed metal concentrations measured in deciduous teeth. Prenatal dentine Mn may be protective, while excessive early postnatal Mn may increase risk for adverse behaviors. In combination, higher concentrations of Mn, Zn and Pb may have an adverse impact on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan K Horton
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Leon Hsu
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Birgit Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
| | - Amy Margolis
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, 1051 Riverside Drive New York, New York 10032, United States of America
| | - Christine Austin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Katherine Svensson
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Division of Research in Community Interventions, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Montes Urales 800, Lomas Virreyes, Mexico City CP 11000, Mexico
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Howard Hu
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, 6(th) floor, Toronto M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Robert Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Martha María Téllez Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health (Mexico), Universidad 655, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico.
| | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
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Pantic I, Tamayo-Ortiz M, Rosa-Parra A, Bautista-Arredondo L, Wright RO, Peterson KE, Schnaas L, Rothenberg SJ, Hu H, Téllez-Rojo MM. Children's Blood Lead Concentrations from 1988 to 2015 in Mexico City: The Contribution of Lead in Air and Traditional Lead-Glazed Ceramics. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E2153. [PMID: 30274368 PMCID: PMC6210390 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15102153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite the removal of lead from gasoline in 1997, elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) > 5 µg/dL are still detectable in children living in Mexico City. The use of lead-glazed ceramics may explain these persistent exposure levels. Mexico lacks a national surveillance program for BLL, but temporal trends can be derived from epidemiological studies. With this approach, we leveraged a series of birth cohorts to report BLL trends from 1987 to 2002 and expanded our analysis to 2015. Data were from 1⁻5-year-old children from five Mexico City cohorts followed between 1988 and 2015. BLLs are reported on 1963 children, who contributed 4975 BLLs. We estimated the trend of mean BLL, which decreased from 15.7 µg/dL in 1988, to 7.8 µg/dL in 1998 (a year after the total ban of lead in gasoline), to 1.96 µg/dL in 2015. The proportion of BLL ≥ 5 µg/dL decreased from 92% (1988⁻1998) to 8% (2008⁻2015). The use of lead-glazed ceramics was associated with an 11% increase in BLLs throughout the study period. Replacing lead-based glazes in traditional ceramics may be the key to further reducing exposure, but this presents challenges, as it involves a cultural tradition deeply rooted in Mexico. In addition, the creation of a rigorous, standardized, and on-going surveillance program of BLL is necessary for identifying vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Pantic
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City 11000, CDMX, Mexico.
| | - Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz
- National Council of Science and Technology, Mexico City 03940, CDMX, Mexico.
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Antonio Rosa-Parra
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Luis Bautista-Arredondo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Karen E Peterson
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City 11000, CDMX, Mexico.
| | - Stephen J Rothenberg
- Center for Population Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Howard Hu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Martha María Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico.
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Lin Z, Chen X, Xi Z, Lin S, Sun X, Jiang X, Tian H. Individual heavy metal exposure and birth outcomes in Shenqiu county along the Huai River Basin in China. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2018; 7:444-453. [PMID: 30090594 PMCID: PMC6062375 DOI: 10.1039/c8tx00009c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Exposure to heavy metals during pregnancy is an important risk factor for adverse birth outcomes. We aimed to investigate the current heavy metal exposure levels in cord blood from healthy pregnant women residing in the Huaihe River Basin, China, and examined the association between heavy metal levels and dietary habits and lifestyle factors. In this study, we measured the exposure levels of five heavy metals in the umbilical cord blood from 350 healthy pregnant women and administered 350 self-reported questionnaires regarding the general characteristics and dietary habits of those women. Methods: This study was undertaken in Shenqiu county, Henan province, which is in the area of the Huai River Basin, in a cohort of pregnant women and newborn babies in 2013-2014. We recruited a sample of 1000 pregnant women among those receiving prenatal examination, measured the real individual newborn exposure to heavy metals in serum by ICP-MS, collected information regarding the pregnant women with a questionnaire survey and obtained data on environmental quality from environmental protection agencies and the available literature. We estimated the daily individual exposure to heavy metals of all the 1000 participants throughout the pregnancy and recorded their birth outcomes after delivery. Then we analyzed the association between birth outcome and individual exposure to heavy metals. Results: 54 newborn children had birth defects. The geometric means of cord blood levels of As, Cd, Cr, Pb and Hg were measured at 0.92 ± 1.01 ng mL-1, 0.11 ± 0.17 ng mL-1, 4.57 ± 5.02 ng mL-1, 3.37 ± 3.81 ng mL-1 and 0.89 ± 1.69 ng mL-1 for subjects (n = 54) who gave birth to infants with birth defects and 0.43 ± 0.88 ng mL-1, 0.52 ± 3.86 ng mL-1, 1.94 ± 2.92 ng mL-1, 4.38 ± 4.96 ng mL-1 and 0.43 ± 0.91 ng mL-1 for subjects (n = 296) with healthy infants, respectively. The contents of all five heavy metals in the whole blood of both of these two groups were higher than the reference values of the Chinese general population (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The occurrence of birth defects was 15.4% in this cohort, and was correlated to exposure of parents to environments containing heavy metal contaminants in Shenqiu county in the Huai River Basin. The heavy metal exposure situation of the investigated population had serious effects in terms of reproductive defects in children. The specific link between newborn defects and environmental heavy metal contaminants suggested that contamination in pregnant women persisted over time, and that the exposure may have a long term effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqing Lin
- Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environmental & Food Safety , Tianjin Institute of Environmental & Operational Medicine , Tianjin 300050 , China . ; Tel: +86-022-84655024
| | - Xi Chen
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control , Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Panjiayuan Nanli Road 7# , Xuan Wu District , Beijing 100021 , China . ; Tel: +86-010-87714866
| | - Zhuge Xi
- Key Laboratory of Risk Assessment and Control Technology for Environmental & Food Safety , Tianjin Institute of Environmental & Operational Medicine , Tianjin 300050 , China . ; Tel: +86-022-84655024
| | - Shaobin Lin
- National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control , Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Panjiayuan Nanli Road 7# , Xuan Wu District , Beijing 100021 , China . ; Tel: +86-010-87714866
| | - Xin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health , National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control , Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Nan Wei Road 27# , West City District , Beijing 100050 , China
| | - Xiao Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health , National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control , Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Nan Wei Road 27# , West City District , Beijing 100050 , China
| | - Haoyuan Tian
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health , National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control , Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Nan Wei Road 27# , West City District , Beijing 100050 , China
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Claus Henn B, Austin C, Coull BA, Schnaas L, Gennings C, Horton MK, Hernández-Ávila M, Hu H, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO, Arora M. Uncovering neurodevelopmental windows of susceptibility to manganese exposure using dentine microspatial analyses. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 161:588-598. [PMID: 29247915 PMCID: PMC5965684 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associations between manganese (Mn) and neurodevelopment may depend on dose and exposure timing, but most studies cannot measure exposure variability over time well. OBJECTIVE We apply temporally informative tooth-matrix biomarkers to uncover windows of susceptibility in early life when Mn is associated with visual motor ability in childhood. We also explore effect modification by lead (Pb) and child sex. METHODS Participants were drawn from the ELEMENT (Early Life Exposures in MExico and NeuroToxicology) longitudinal birth cohort studies. We reconstructed dose and timing of prenatal and early postnatal Mn and Pb exposures for 138 children by analyzing deciduous teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Neurodevelopment was assessed between 6 and 16 years of age using the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities (WRAVMA). Mn associations with total WRAVMA scores and subscales were estimated with multivariable generalized additive mixed models. We examined Mn interactions with Pb and child sex in stratified models. RESULTS Levels of dentine Mn were highest in the second trimester and declined steeply over the prenatal period, with a slower rate of decline after birth. Mn was positively associated with visual spatial and total WRAVMA scores in the second trimester, among children with lower (< median) tooth Pb levels: one standard deviation (SD) increase in ln-transformed dentine Mn at 150 days before birth was associated with a 0.15 [95% CI: 0.04, 0.26] SD increase in total score. This positive association was not observed at high Pb levels. In contrast to the prenatal period, significant negative associations were found in the postnatal period from ~ 6 to 12 months of age, among boys only: one SD increase in ln-transformed dentine Mn was associated with a 0.11 [95% CI: - 0.001, - 0.22] to 0.16 [95% CI: - 0.04, - 0.28] SD decrease in visual spatial score. CONCLUSIONS Using tooth-matrix biomarkers with fine scale temporal profiles of exposure, we found discrete developmental windows in which Mn was associated with visual-spatial abilities. Our results suggest that Mn associations are driven in large part by exposure timing, with beneficial effects found for prenatal levels and toxic effects found for postnatal levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christine Austin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Division of Research on Community Interventions, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Megan K Horton
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mauricio Hernández-Ávila
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Howard Hu
- University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martha Maria 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
| | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Röllin HB, Olutola B, Channa K, Odland JØ. Reduction of in utero lead exposures in South African populations: Positive impact of unleaded petrol. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186445. [PMID: 29036215 PMCID: PMC5643117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prenatal exposure to lead (Pb) has been shown to have negative and irreversible health impacts on foetal and early childhood development, affecting morbidity and mortality in adulthood. This study aimed to assess in utero Pb exposure, examine birth outcomes, and identify confounding factors in the large cohort of South African population, following the legislated removal of Pb from petrol. Methods Lead was measured in the maternal blood, urine and cord blood using Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The statistical analyses included Spearman’s correlation, Wilcoxon rank sum (Mann Whitney), Kruskal-Wallis rank tests and multivariate linear regression. Results Overall, the geometric mean (GM) of Pb in maternal blood (PbB) was 1.32 μg/dL (n = 640; 95% CI, 1.24–1.40). In the subset cohort, the GM of paired maternal PbB and cord blood (PbC) was 1.73 μg/dL (n = 350; 95% CI, 1.60–1.86) and 1.26 μg/dL (n = 317; 95% CI, 1.18–1.35), respectively with a positive correlation between the log PbB and the log PbC (rho = 0.65, p = <0.001). Birth outcomes showed geographical differences in the gestational age (p<0.001), birth length (p = 0.028) and head circumference (p<0.001), Apgar score at 5 min (p<0.001) and parity (p<0.002). In female neonates, a positive association was found between PbC and head circumference (rho = 0.243; p<0.016). The maternal PbB levels were positively correlated with race, educational status, water sources, cooking fuels and use of pesticides at home. Conclusions This study has demonstrated not only the positive impact that the introduction of unleaded petrol and lead-free paint has had on in utero exposure to Pb in South Africa, but has also contributed new data on the topic, in a region where such data and scientific investigations in this field are lacking. Future research should evaluate if similar effects can be detected in young children and the adult population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halina B. Röllin
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Environment and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Johannesburg, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Bukola Olutola
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Kalavati Channa
- Lancet Laboratories, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Biomedical Technology, School of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jon Ø. Odland
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
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11
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Bello GA, Arora M, Austin C, Horton MK, Wright RO, Gennings C. Extending the Distributed Lag Model framework to handle chemical mixtures. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 156:253-264. [PMID: 28371754 PMCID: PMC5657400 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Distributed Lag Models (DLMs) are used in environmental health studies to analyze the time-delayed effect of an exposure on an outcome of interest. Given the increasing need for analytical tools for evaluation of the effects of exposure to multi-pollutant mixtures, this study attempts to extend the classical DLM framework to accommodate and evaluate multiple longitudinally observed exposures. We introduce 2 techniques for quantifying the time-varying mixture effect of multiple exposures on an outcome of interest. Lagged WQS, the first technique, is based on Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression, a penalized regression method that estimates mixture effects using a weighted index. We also introduce Tree-based DLMs, a nonparametric alternative for assessment of lagged mixture effects. This technique is based on the Random Forest (RF) algorithm, a nonparametric, tree-based estimation technique that has shown excellent performance in a wide variety of domains. In a simulation study, we tested the feasibility of these techniques and evaluated their performance in comparison to standard methodology. Both methods exhibited relatively robust performance, accurately capturing pre-defined non-linear functional relationships in different simulation settings. Further, we applied these techniques to data on perinatal exposure to environmental metal toxicants, with the goal of evaluating the effects of exposure on neurodevelopment. Our methods identified critical neurodevelopmental windows showing significant sensitivity to metal mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghalib A Bello
- Deptartment of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 17E 102nd St, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Manish Arora
- Deptartment of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 17E 102nd St, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Christine Austin
- Deptartment of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 17E 102nd St, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Megan K Horton
- Deptartment of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 17E 102nd St, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Deptartment of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 17E 102nd St, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Chris Gennings
- Deptartment of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 17E 102nd St, New York, NY 10029, USA
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12
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Chavarro JE, Watkins DJ, Afeiche MC, Zhang Z, Sánchez BN, Cantonwine D, Mercado-García A, Blank-Goldenberg C, Meeker JD, Téllez-Rojo MM, Peterson KE. Validity of Self-Assessed Sexual Maturation Against Physician Assessments and Hormone Levels. J Pediatr 2017; 186:172-178.e3. [PMID: 28438374 PMCID: PMC5492944 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.03.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare self-report and physician assessments of sexual maturation against serum hormone markers to evaluate the hypothesis that the validity of self-assessed sexual maturation is underestimated in traditional validation studies. STUDY DESIGN We adapted a self-assessment instrument that 248 Mexican children and adolescents, aged 8-13 years, completed. The participants were examined by a trained pediatrician and provided fasting blood samples for measurement of reproductive hormones (eg, testosterone, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin, inhibin B) and other hormones (eg, C-peptide, insulin-like growth factor 1, leptin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) known to change during adolescence. Spearman correlations (r) were calculated among the average rank of all hormones and self-assessed and physician-assessed Tanner stage. The method of triads was used to assess the validity of self-reports by estimating correlations between self-assessments and true but unobservable sexual maturation based on all available data. Bootstrap sampling was used to construct 95% CIs. RESULTS The validity of self-reported genitalia staging for boys was modest (r = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.31-0.65) and inferior to physician assessment (r = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56-0.93). Breast stage was well reported (r = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.79-0.97) and superior to physician assessment (r = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70-0.89). Pubic hair stage reported by boys (r = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.79-0.99) and girls (r = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.96-1.00) was superior to physician assessment (r = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.57-0.97 and r = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.97, respectively). CONCLUSION Self-assessment can be validly used in epidemiologic studies for evaluating sexual maturation in children; however, physician assessment may be necessary for accurate assessment of genitalia development in boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge E. Chavarro
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah J. Watkins
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | - Myriam C. Afeiche
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhenzhen Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor MI, USA,Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | - Brisa N. Sánchez
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | - David Cantonwine
- Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adriana Mercado-García
- Research Center for Nutrition and Health, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, MOR, MEXICO
| | | | - John D. Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | - Martha María Téllez-Rojo
- Research Center for Nutrition and Health, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, MOR, MEXICO
| | - Karen E. Peterson
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor MI, USA,Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA
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13
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Wang J, Gao ZY, Yan J, Ying XL, Tong SL, Yan CH. Sex differences in the effects of prenatal lead exposure on birth outcomes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 225:193-200. [PMID: 28371734 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Studies on the associations between prenatal lead exposure and birth outcomes have been inconsistent, and few data are available on the sex differences in these associations. We measured the cord blood lead levels of newborns in Shanghai and determined their associations with birth outcomes, which included birth weight, birth length, head circumference, and the ponderal index, in the total sample and within sex subgroups. A total of 1009 mother-infant pairs were enrolled from 10 hospitals in Shanghai between September 2008 and October 2009. The geometric mean of the cord blood lead concentrations was 4.07 μg/dl (95% CI: 3.98-4.17 μg/dl). A significant inverse association was found between cord blood lead levels and head circumference only in the male subgroup, and increasing cord blood lead levels were related to significant decreases in the ponderal index only in females. The birth weights of the male infants were positively associated with cord blood lead levels; after adjusting for the maternal intake frequency of preserved eggs, the estimated mean differences in birth weights decreased by 11.7% for each 1-unit increase in the log10-transformed cord blood lead concentration. Our findings suggest that prenatal lead exposure may have sex-specific effects on birth outcomes and that maternal dietary intake may be a potential confounder in these relationships. Further studies on this topic are highly warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Wang
- School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen-Yan Gao
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Yan
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Lan Ying
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Lu Tong
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
| | - Chong-Huai Yan
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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14
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Kim JH, Park Y, Kim SK, Moon HB, Park J, Choi K, Kim S. Timing of an accelerated body mass increase in children exposed to lead in early life: A longitudinal study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 584-585:72-77. [PMID: 28135615 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In utero exposure to lead is known to cause various adverse health outcomes and early life obesity can affect permanent metabolic alterations leading to adverse health outcomes. To examine the relation between perinatal lead exposure and childhood obesity, lead level in cord bloods and growth- and obesity-related markers at birth were measured from 280 mother-child pairs. The weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) of children were measured at birth and followed up several times up to 27months of age. The relations between lead level and growth- and obesity-related markers were evaluated using a generalized linear model after adjustment for maternal age, maternal BMI, gestational period, cesarean section, and smoking status. The changes of child weight, height, and BMI z-scores at followed-up months of age after birth by lead exposure were evaluated using a generalized linear model after adjustment for covariates used in the analyses for growth- and obesity-related markers and child's gender. The lead level was positively associated with an increase of birth height (p=0.019) and a decrease of ponderal index at birth (p=0.027) in boys, but not in girls. Moreover, the lead level was positively associated with increases of BMI z-score after 18months of age (p=0.070 at 18months of age; p=0.003 at 24months of age; and p=0.002 at 27months of age). Perinatal lead exposure affected accelerated body mass increases at specific times of the children' development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Hee Kim
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Integrative Bioscience & Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yelim Park
- College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Koo Kim
- College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Bang Moon
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongim Park
- College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungho Choi
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Health and Environment, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungkyoon Kim
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Health and Environment, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Wagner PJ, Park HR, Wang Z, Kirchner R, Wei Y, Su L, Stanfield K, Guilarte TR, Wright RO, Christiani DC, Lu Q. In Vitro Effects of Lead on Gene Expression in Neural Stem Cells and Associations between Up-regulated Genes and Cognitive Scores in Children. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2017; 125:721-729. [PMID: 27562236 PMCID: PMC5381979 DOI: 10.1289/ehp265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead (Pb) adversely affects neurodevelopment in children. Neural stem cells (NSCs) play an essential role in shaping the developing brain, yet little is known about how Pb perturbs NSC functions and whether such perturbation contributes to impaired neurodevelopment. OBJECTIVES We aimed to identify Pb-induced transcriptomic changes in NSCs and to link these changes to neurodevelopmental outcomes in children who were exposed to Pb. METHODS We performed RNA-seq-based transcriptomic profiling in human NSCs treated with 1 μM Pb. We used qRT-PCR, Western blotting, ELISA, and ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) to characterize Pb-induced gene up-regulation. Through interrogation of a genome-wide association study, we examined the association of gene variants with neurodevelopment outcomes in the ELEMENT birth cohort. RESULTS We identified 19 genes with significantly altered expression, including many known targets of NRF2-the master transcriptional factor for the oxidative stress response. Pb induced the expression of SPP1 (secreted phosphoprotein 1), which has known neuroprotective effects. We demonstrated that SPP1 is a novel direct NRF2 target gene. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs12641001) in the regulatory region of SPP1 exhibited a statistically significant association (p = 0.005) with the Cognitive Development Index (CDI). CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that Pb induces an NRF2-dependent transcriptional response in neural stem cells and identified SPP1 up-regulation as a potential novel mechanism linking Pb exposure with neural stem cell function and neurodevelopment in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Wagner
- Department of Environmental Health,
- Program in Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences, and
| | - Hae-Ryung Park
- Department of Environmental Health,
- Program in Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences, and
| | | | - Rory Kirchner
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Li Su
- Department of Environmental Health,
| | - Kirstie Stanfield
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Tomas R. Guilarte
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Department of Preventative Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | | | - Quan Lu
- Department of Environmental Health,
- Program in Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences, and
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Address correspondence to Q. Lu, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02215 USA. Telephone: (617) 432-7145. E-mail:
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16
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Renzetti S, Just AC, Burris HH, Oken E, Amarasiriwardena C, Svensson K, Mercado-García A, Cantoral A, Schnaas L, Baccarelli AA, Wright RO, Téllez-Rojo MM. The association of lead exposure during pregnancy and childhood anthropometry in the Mexican PROGRESS cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 152:226-232. [PMID: 27810680 PMCID: PMC5135667 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Lead exposure during pregnancy remains a public health problem with potential lifelong impacts on children's growth and development. Mexico is unique in that stunting and obesity are both major public health concerns in children. This situation might be exacerbated by lead exposure which remains more common in Mexico than in the United States due in part to the use of lead glazed pottery in food preparation and storage. Our objective is to determine how lead exposure during pregnancy is associated with children's growth parameters, including height, weight, body mass index and percentage body fat measured between ages 4-6 years old in a Mexico City pregnancy cohort. Blood lead was collected in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy as well as at delivery. Bone lead was assessed in mothers as a long term exposure biomarker. We performed multivariable linear regression analyses to assess the association between each of these lead exposure biomarkers and child anthropometry. We found a significant negative association between maternal 3rd trimester blood lead concentration and offspring height for age (β-0.10; 95% CI -0.19, -0.01), and a negative association between maternal 3rd trimester blood lead concentration and weight for age (β-0.11; 95% CI -0.22,-0.003). Our results in this Mexican population add to previous findings of an association of lead and decreased stature and weight in early childhood. Ongoing follow-up and longitudinal analyses may help elucidate how this impacts growth trajectory and other children's health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Renzetti
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Allan C Just
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Heather H Burris
- Department of Neonatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Departments of Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Emily Oken
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Katherine Svensson
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Adriana Mercado-García
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alejandra Cantoral
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | | | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Martha María Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
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17
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Somers EC, Monrad SU, Warren JS, Solano M, Schnaas L, Hernandez-Avila M, Tellez-Rojo MM, Hu H. Antinuclear antibody prevalence in a general pediatric cohort from Mexico City: discordance between immunofluorescence and multiplex assays. Clin Epidemiol 2016; 9:1-8. [PMID: 28053555 PMCID: PMC5192054 DOI: 10.2147/clep.s121632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize antinuclear antibody (ANA) prevalence according to distinct assay methodologies in a pediatric cohort from Mexico City, and to further examine associations with age and sex. METHODS Serum ANA were measured by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and multiplex immunoassay in 114 children aged 9-17 years. IFA was considered positive at a cutoff titer of ≥1:80. Agreement between assay methods was assessed by kappa statistic. Sensitivity, specificity, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the multiplex were computed with IFA as the reference standard. RESULTS Of the 114 children (mean age 14.7 [standard deviation 2.1] years; 54 [47%] female), 18 of 114 (15.8%) were ANA positive by IFA, and 11 of 114 (9.6%) by 11-antigen multiplex assay. ANA prevalence was higher in females compared with males by both of the methods (ratios 1.6-1.9 to 1). Agreement between tests was classified as slight by kappa (κ=0.177 [95% CI -0.051, 0.406]). The multiplex immunoassay had sensitivity of 22.2% (95% CI 6.4, 47.6) and specificity of 92.7% (95% CI 85.6, 97.0), and failed to capture 3 of 4 (75%) of the high-titer (≥1:1280) IFA-positives. CONCLUSION Up to 15% of children in this general population cohort were ANA positive, with a higher rate of positivity among females according to both assay methods. Substantial discordance in ANA results was found between IFA and multiplex methods, even for high-titer IFA positives. These findings underscore the need to sufficiently account for assay characteristics when interpreting ANA test results, and support IFA as the more appropriate assay for studies of subclinical autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Somers
- Divison of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine; Department of Environmental Health Sciences; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
| | | | - Jeffrey S Warren
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Maritsa Solano
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mauricio Hernandez-Avila
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos
| | - Martha Maria Tellez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos
| | - Howard Hu
- Occupational and Environmental Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Weihe P, Debes F, Halling J, Petersen MS, Muckle G, Odland JØ, Dudarev A, Ayotte P, Dewailly É, Grandjean P, Bonefeld-Jørgensen E. Health effects associated with measured levels of contaminants in the Arctic. Int J Circumpolar Health 2016; 75:33805. [PMID: 27974137 PMCID: PMC5156856 DOI: 10.3402/ijch.v75.33805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The Human Health Assessment Group has over the past decade recommended that effect studies be conducted in the circumpolar area. Such studies examine the association between contaminant exposure in the Arctic populations and health effects. Because foetuses and young children are the most vulnerable, effect studies are often prospective child cohort studies. The emphasis in this article is on a description of the effects associated with contaminant exposure in the Arctic. The main topics addressed are neurobehavioural, immunological, reproductive, cardiovascular, endocrine and carcinogenic effect. For each topic, the association between exposure and effects is described, and some results are reported for similar studies outside the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pál Weihe
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands;
| | - Fróði Debes
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Jónrit Halling
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Maria Skaalum Petersen
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Gina Muckle
- École de psychologie, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, City, QC, Canada
| | - Jon Øyvind Odland
- Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - Alexey Dudarev
- Northwest Public Health Research Center, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Univerisity of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Eva Bonefeld-Jørgensen
- Centre for Arctic Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Goodrich JM, Dolinoy DC, Sánchez BN, Zhang Z, Meeker JD, Mercado-Garcia A, Solano-González M, Hu H, Téllez-Rojo MM, Peterson KE. Adolescent epigenetic profiles and environmental exposures from early life through peri-adolescence. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2016; 2:dvw018. [PMID: 29492298 PMCID: PMC5804533 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvw018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic perturbations induced by environmental exposures at susceptible lifestages contribute to disease development. Even so, the influence of early life and ongoing exposures on the adolescent epigenome is rarely examined. We examined the association of exposure biomarkers for lead (Pb), bisphenol A (BPA), and nine phthalates metabolites with blood leukocyte DNA methylation at LINE-1 repetitive elements and environmentally responsive genes ( IGF2 , H19 , and HSD11B2 ) in peri-adolescents. Participants ( n = 247) from the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) birth cohorts were followed-up once between the ages of 8 and 14 years, and concurrent exposures were measured in biospecimen collected at that time (blood Pb, urinary BPA, and phthalate metabolites). Prenatal and childhood exposures to Pb were previously approximated using maternal and child samples. BPA and phthalate metabolites were measured in third trimester maternal urine samples. Significant associations ( P < 0.05) were observed between DNA methylation and exposure biomarkers that were gene and biomarker specific. For example, Pb was only associated with LINE-1 hypomethylation during pregnancy ( P = 0.04), while early childhood Pb was instead associated with H19 hypermethylation ( P = 0.04). Concurrent urinary mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) was associated with HSD11B2 hypermethylation ( P = 0.005). Sex-specific associations, particularly among males, were also observed. In addition to single exposure models, principal component analysis was employed to examine exposure mixtures. This method largely corroborated the findings of the single exposure models. This study along with others in the field suggests that environment-epigenetic relationships vary by chemical, exposure timing, and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M. Goodrich
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dana C. Dolinoy
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brisa N. Sánchez
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zhenzhen Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - John D. Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adriana Mercado-Garcia
- Center for Research on Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Maritsa Solano-González
- Center for Research on Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Howard Hu
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martha M. Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Research on Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Karen E. Peterson
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- *Correspondence address: 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Tel: +1 734 647 1923; Fax: +1 734 936 7283; E-mail:
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20
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Gilbert-Diamond D, Emond JA, Baker ER, Korrick SA, Karagas MR. Relation between in Utero Arsenic Exposure and Birth Outcomes in a Cohort of Mothers and Their Newborns from New Hampshire. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:1299-307. [PMID: 26955061 PMCID: PMC4977046 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1510065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies suggest that arsenic exposure influences birth outcomes; however, findings are mixed. OBJECTIVE We assessed in utero arsenic exposure in relation to birth outcomes and whether maternal prepregnancy weight and infant sex modified the associations. METHODS Among 706 mother-infant pairs exposed to low levels of arsenic through drinking water and diet, we assessed in utero arsenic exposure using maternal second-trimester urinary arsenic, maternal prepregnancy weight through self-report, and birth outcomes from medical records. RESULTS Median (interquartile range) of total urinary arsenic [tAs; inorganic arsenic (iAs) + monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) + dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)] was 3.4 μg/L (1.7-6.0). In adjusted linear models, each doubling of tAs was associated with a 0.10-cm decrease (95% CI: -0.19, -0.01) in head circumference. Results were similar for MMA and DMA. Ln(tAs) and ln(DMA) were positively associated with birth length in infant males only; among males, each doubling of tAs was associated with a 0.28-cm increase (95% CI: 0.09, 0.46) in birth length (pinteraction = 0.04). Results were similar for DMA. Additionally, arsenic exposure was inversely related to ponderal index, and associations differed by maternal weight. Each ln(tAs) doubling of tAs was associated with a 0.55-kg/m3 lower (95% CI: -0.82, -0.28, p < 0.001) ponderal index for infants of overweight/obese, but not normal-weight, mothers (pinteraction < 0.01). Finally, there was a significant interaction between maternal weight status, infant sex, and arsenic exposure on birth weight (pinteraction = 0.03). In girls born of overweight/obese mothers, each doubling of tAs was associated with a 62.9-g decrease (95% CI: -111.6, -14.2) in birth weight, though the association was null in the other strata. CONCLUSIONS Low-level arsenic exposure may affect fetal growth, and the associations may be modified by maternal weight status and infant sex. CITATION Gilbert-Diamond D, Emond JA, Baker ER, Korrick SA, Karagas MR. 2016. Relation between in utero arsenic exposure and birth outcomes in a cohort of mothers and their newborns from New Hampshire. Environ Health Perspect 124:1299-1307; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510065.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Gilbert-Diamond
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Emond
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Emily R. Baker
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Susan A. Korrick
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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21
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Stroustrup A, Hsu HH, Svensson K, Schnaas L, Cantoral A, Solano González M, Torres-Calapiz M, Amarasiriwardena C, Bellinger DC, Coull BA, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO, Wright RJ. Toddler temperament and prenatal exposure to lead and maternal depression. Environ Health 2016; 15:71. [PMID: 27312840 PMCID: PMC4910201 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-016-0147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Temperament is a psychological construct that reflects both personality and an infant's reaction to social stimuli. It can be assessed early in life and is stable over time Temperament predicts many later life behaviors and illnesses, including impulsivity, emotional regulation and obesity. Early life exposure to neurotoxicants often results in developmental deficits in attention, social function, and IQ, but environmental predictors of infant temperament are largely unknown. We propose that prenatal exposure to both chemical and non-chemical environmental toxicants impacts the development of temperament, which can itself be used as a marker of risk for maladaptive neurobehavior in later life. In this study, we assessed associations among prenatal and early life exposure to lead, mercury, poverty, maternal depression and toddler temperament. METHODS A prospective cohort of women living in the Mexico City area were followed longitudinally beginning in the second trimester of pregnancy. Prenatal exposure to lead (blood, bone), mercury, and maternal depression were assessed repeatedly and the Toddler Temperament Scale (TTS) was completed when the child was 24 months old. The association between each measure of prenatal exposure and performance on individual TTS subscales was evaluated by multivariable linear regression. Latent profile analysis was used to classify subjects by TTS performance. Multinomial regression models were used to estimate the prospective association between prenatal exposures and TTS performance. RESULTS 500 mother-child pairs completed the TTS and had complete data on exposures and covariates. Three latent profiles were identified and categorized as predominantly difficult, intermediate, or easy temperament. Prenatal exposure to maternal depression predicted increasing probability of difficult toddler temperament. Maternal bone lead, a marker of cumulative exposure, also predicted difficult temperament. Prenatal lead exposure modified this association, suggesting that joint exposure in pregnancy to both was most toxic. CONCLUSIONS Maternal depression predicts difficult temperament and concurrent prenatal exposure to maternal depression and lead predicts a more difficult temperament phenotype in 2 year olds. The role of temperament as an intermediate variable in the path from prenatal exposures to neurobehavioral deficits and other health effects deserves further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Stroustrup
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1508, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Hsiao-Hsien Hsu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katherine Svensson
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Cantoral
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Maritsa Solano González
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Mariana Torres-Calapiz
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David C Bellinger
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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22
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Kopeć A, Sikora E, Piątkowska E, Borczak B, Czech T. Possible protective role of elderberry fruit lyophilizate against selected effects of cadmium and lead intoxication in Wistar rats. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:8837-8848. [PMID: 26810666 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6117-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was the investigation whether the administration of the elderberry fruit lyophilizate under exposure to cadmium(Cd) and (Pb) lead may protect against some effects of their toxic action in Wistar rats. Rats were fed with diets containing Cd (Cd 0.025 mg/kg b.m.) or Pb (Pb 0.025 mg /kg b.m.) with the addition of the freeze-dried elderberry fruits (BEF) in the amount of 5 %. BEF added to the diet with Cd significantly decreased the activity of AST and ALT compared to the rats fed with the control diet with Cd (C + Cd). Activity of glutathione peroxidase was significantly higher in the blood of rats fed with BEF diet compared with animals fed with BEF + Cd, BEF + Pb, and C + Pb diets. Addition of BEF to the diets with Cd or Pb significantly decreased the uric acid concentration compared to the level of this parameter in the serum of animals fed with control diets containing Cd or Pb. The level of the Cd significantly decreased in the livers of rodents fed with BEF + Cd diet as compared to the concentration of this metal in the livers of rats fed with C + Cd diet. Elderberry fruit lyophilizate did not protect against the increased concentration of Cd or Pb in kidneys and bones of experimental rats; however, it improved the function of livers and kidneys, especially of rats intoxicated with Cd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneta Kopeć
- Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 122, 30-149, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Elżbieta Sikora
- Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 122, 30-149, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewa Piątkowska
- Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 122, 30-149, Krakow, Poland
| | - Barbara Borczak
- Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 122, 30-149, Krakow, Poland
| | - Tomasz Czech
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. Mickiewicza 21, 30-120, Krakow, Poland
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to unhealthy and unsafe environments cause 1 in 4 deaths in childhood each year. Early exposure to lead beginning prenatally and continuing throughout childhood is one of the mechanisms associated with unhealthy and unsafe environments, particularly in industrial countries and urban communities. Lead is a known heavy metal that crosses the placenta and blood-brain barrier depositing in fetal tissues. PURPOSE The purpose of this integrative review was to determine which maternal-fetal dyads were at high risk for elevated umbilical cord lead (Pb) levels and to examine the consequences associated with elevated umbilical cord Pb levels. SEARCH STRATEGY PubMed was searched to obtain English language publications from 2005 to March 2015 for studies examining the effects of prenatal lead exposure on infant outcomes using key terms "lead" combined with "infant." A total of 17 articles were retained for analysis. FINDINGS Infants with elevated umbilical cord blood lead levels were associated with maternal demographic factors and country of origin. Maternal-specific exposure to lead products prior to or during pregnancy was associated with elevated umbilical cord blood lead levels. The consequences of prenatal lead exposure to the infant at birth anthropometrically were mixed. The evidence on neurological consequences of prenatal exposure to lead appears to reflect changes in cognitive impairment; however, it needs further study. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE The major recommendation is primary prevention of lead exposure across the life span. Implementation of policies that reduce the availability of leaded products to reduce leaded products, especially ones aimed at children and women of childbearing age. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH Research needs to be focused in 2 directions: (1) prevention of lead exposure during pregnancy and (2) prevention of lead leaching from bones for all women of childbearing age.
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Biomonitoring of Lead, Cadmium, Total Mercury, and Methylmercury Levels in Maternal Blood and in Umbilical Cord Blood at Birth in South Korea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 12:13482-93. [PMID: 26516876 PMCID: PMC4627044 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph121013482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
With rising concerns of heavy metal exposure in pregnancy and early childhood, this study was conducted to assess the relationship between the lead, cadmium, mercury, and methylmercury blood levels in pregnancy and neonatal period. The study population included 104 mothers and their children pairs who completed both baseline maternal blood sampling at the second trimester and umbilical cord blood sampling at birth. The geometric mean maternal blood levels of lead, cadmium, total mercury, and methylmercury at the second trimester were 1.02 ± 1.39 µg/dL, 0.61 ± 1.51 µg/L, 2.97 ± 1.45 µg/L, and 2.39 ± 1.45 µg/L, respectively, and in the newborns, these levels at birth were 0.71 ± 1.42 µg/dL, 0.01 ± 5.31 µg/L, 4.44 ± 1.49 µg/L, and 3.67 ± 1.51 µg/L, respectively. The mean ratios of lead, cadmium, total mercury, and methylmercury levels in the newborns to those in the mothers were 0.72, 0.04, 1.76, and 1.81, respectively. The levels of most heavy metals in pregnant women and infants were higher in this study than in studies from industrialized western countries. The placenta appears to protect fetuses from cadmium; however, total mercury and methylmercury were able to cross the placenta and accumulate in fetuses.
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25
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Miousse IR, Chalbot MCG, Lumen A, Ferguson A, Kavouras IG, Koturbash I. Response of transposable elements to environmental stressors. MUTATION RESEARCH. REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2015; 765:19-39. [PMID: 26281766 PMCID: PMC4544780 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) comprise a group of repetitive sequences that bring positive, negative, as well as neutral effects to the host organism. Earlier considered as "junk DNA," TEs are now well-accepted driving forces of evolution and critical regulators of the expression of genetic information. Their activity is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, including methylation of DNA and histone modifications. The loss of epigenetic control over TEs, exhibited as loss of DNA methylation and decondensation of the chromatin structure, may result in TEs reactivation, initiation of their insertional mutagenesis (retrotransposition) and has been reported in numerous human diseases, including cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that these alterations are not the simple consequences of the disease, but often may drive the pathogenesis, as they can be detected early during disease development. Knowledge derived from the in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological studies, clearly demonstrates that exposure to ubiquitous environmental stressors, many of which are carcinogens or suspected carcinogens, are capable of causing alterations in methylation and expression of TEs and initiate retrotransposition events. Evidence summarized in this review suggests that TEs are the sensitive endpoints for detection of effects caused by such environmental stressors, as ionizing radiation (terrestrial, space, and UV-radiation), air pollution (including particulate matter [PM]-derived and gaseous), persistent organic pollutants, and metals. Furthermore, the significance of these effects is characterized by their early appearance, persistence and presence in both, target organs and peripheral blood. Altogether, these findings suggest that TEs may potentially be introduced into safety and risk assessment and serve as biomarkers of exposure to environmental stressors. Furthermore, TEs also show significant potential to become invaluable surrogate biomarkers in clinic and possible targets for therapeutic modalities for disease treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle R Miousse
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Marie-Cecile G Chalbot
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Annie Lumen
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA.
| | - Alesia Ferguson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Ilias G Kavouras
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Igor Koturbash
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
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26
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Concentration of lead, mercury, cadmium, aluminum, arsenic and manganese in umbilical cord blood of Jamaican newborns. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 12:4481-501. [PMID: 25915835 PMCID: PMC4454921 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120504481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to characterize the concentrations of lead, mercury, cadmium, aluminum, and manganese in umbilical cord blood of Jamaican newborns and to explore the possible association between concentrations of these elements and certain birth outcomes. Based on data from 100 pregnant mothers and their 100 newborns who were enrolled from Jamaica in 2011, the arithmetic mean (standard deviation) concentrations of cord blood lead, mercury, aluminum, and manganese were 0.8 (1.3 μg/dL), 4.4 (2.4 μg/L), 10.9 (9.2 μg/L), and 43.7 (17.7 μg/L), respectively. In univariable General Linear Models, the geometric mean cord blood aluminum concentration was higher for children whose mothers had completed their education up to high school compared to those whose mothers had any education beyond high school (12.2 μg/L vs. 6.4 μg/L; p < 0.01). After controlling for maternal education level and socio-economic status (through ownership of a family car), the cord blood lead concentration was significantly associated with head circumference (adjusted p < 0.01). Our results not only provide levels of arsenic and the aforementioned metals in cord blood that could serve as a reference for the Jamaican population, but also replicate previously reported significant associations between cord blood lead concentrations and head circumference at birth in other populations.
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27
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Taylor CM, Golding J, Emond AM. Adverse effects of maternal lead levels on birth outcomes in the ALSPAC study: a prospective birth cohort study. BJOG 2015; 122:322-8. [PMID: 24824048 PMCID: PMC4322474 DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.12756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the associations of prenatal blood lead levels (B-Pb) with pregnancy outcomes in a large cohort of mother-child pairs in the UK. DESIGN Prospective birth cohort study. SETTING Avon area of Bristol, UK. POPULATION Pregnant women enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). METHODS Whole blood samples were collected and analysed by inductively coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometry (n = 4285). Data collected on the infants included anthropometric variables and gestational age at delivery. Linear regression models for continuous outcomes and logistic regression models for categorical outcomes were adjusted for covariates including maternal height, smoking, parity, sex of the baby and gestational age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Birthweight, head circumference and crown-heel length, preterm delivery and low birthweight. RESULTS The mean blood lead level (B-Pb) was 3.67 ± 1.47 μg/dl. B-Pb ≥ 5 μg/dl significantly increased the risk of preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.00 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.35-3.00) but not of having a low birthweight baby (adjusted OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.86-2.18) in multivariable binary logistic models. Increasing B-Pb was significantly associated with reductions in birth weight (β -13.23, 95% CI -23.75 to -2.70), head circumference (β -0.04, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.06) and crown-heel length (β -0.05, 95% CI -0.10 to -0.00) in multivariable linear regression models. CONCLUSIONS There was evidence for adverse effects of maternal B-Pb on the incidence of preterm delivery, birthweight, head circumference and crown-heel length, but not on the incidence of low birthweight, in this group of women.
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Affiliation(s)
- CM Taylor
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - J Golding
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - AM Emond
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of BristolBristol, UK
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28
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Goodrich JM, Sánchez BN, Dolinoy DC, Zhang Z, Hernández-Ávila M, Hu H, Peterson KE, Téllez-Rojo MM. Quality control and statistical modeling for environmental epigenetics: a study on in utero lead exposure and DNA methylation at birth. Epigenetics 2015; 10:19-30. [PMID: 25580720 DOI: 10.4161/15592294.2014.989077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation data assayed using pyrosequencing techniques are increasingly being used in human cohort studies to investigate associations between epigenetic modifications at candidate genes and exposures to environmental toxicants and to examine environmentally-induced epigenetic alterations as a mechanism underlying observed toxicant-health outcome associations. For instance, in utero lead (Pb) exposure is a neurodevelopmental toxicant of global concern that has also been linked to altered growth in human epidemiological cohorts; a potential mechanism of this association is through alteration of DNA methylation (e.g., at growth-related genes). However, because the associations between toxicants and DNA methylation might be weak, using appropriate quality control and statistical methods is important to increase reliability and power of such studies. Using a simulation study, we compared potential approaches to estimate toxicant-DNA methylation associations that varied by how methylation data were analyzed (repeated measures vs. averaging all CpG sites) and by method to adjust for batch effects (batch controls vs. random effects). We demonstrate that correcting for batch effects using plate controls yields unbiased associations, and that explicitly modeling the CpG site-specific variances and correlations among CpG sites increases statistical power. Using the recommended approaches, we examined the association between DNA methylation (in LINE-1 and growth related genes IGF2, H19 and HSD11B2) and 3 biomarkers of Pb exposure (Pb concentrations in umbilical cord blood, maternal tibia, and maternal patella), among mother-infant pairs of the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) cohort (n = 247). Those with 10 μg/g higher patella Pb had, on average, 0.61% higher IGF2 methylation (P = 0.05). Sex-specific trends between Pb and DNA methylation (P < 0.1) were observed among girls including a 0.23% increase in HSD11B2 methylation with 10 μg/g higher patella Pb.
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Key Words
- ANOVA, analysis of variance
- DMR, differentially methylated region
- DNA methylation
- ELEMENT, early life exposures in Mexico to environmental toxicants
- GEE, generalized estimating equation
- GLM, general linear model
- H19, H19, imprinted maternally expressed transcript (non-protein coding)
- HSD11B2, hydroxysteroid (11-β) dehydrogenase 2
- IGF2, insulin-like growth factor 2
- K-XRF, K X-ray fluorescence
- LINE-1, long interspersed element-1
- OLS, ordinary linear regression
- PCR, polymerase chain reaction
- Pb, lead
- environmental exposure
- lead
- pyrosequencing
- quality control
- statistical methods
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Goodrich
- a Department of Environmental Health Sciences ; University of Michigan School of Public Health ; Ann Arbor , MI USA
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Perkins M, Wright RO, Amarasiriwardena CJ, Jayawardene I, Rifas-Shiman SL, Oken E. Very low maternal lead level in pregnancy and birth outcomes in an eastern Massachusetts population. Ann Epidemiol 2014; 24:915-9. [PMID: 25444892 PMCID: PMC4254591 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 08/30/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Maternal lead exposure is associated with poor birth outcomes in populations with moderate to high blood levels. However, no studies have looked at exposure levels commonly experienced by US women. METHODS We evaluated the relationship between maternal red blood cell (RBC) lead levels in midpregnancy and birth outcomes in 949 mother-child pairs in a prebirth cohort. We used multiple linear regression and logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders including maternal age, race, prepregnancy body mass index, and smoking to relate maternal lead to infant birth size and risk for preterm birth (<37 weeks). RESULTS Mean RBC lead level was 1.2 μg/dL (range, 0.0-5.0). Mean (standard deviation) birthweight was 3505 (520) g, birthweight for gestational age z-score 0.22 (0.93), and length of gestation 39.5 (1.7) weeks. Mothers in the highest versus lowest lead quartile did not have higher odds (OR, 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-4.34) of preterm delivery; after stratifying by child sex, there was an association among males (OR, 5.51; 95% CI, 1.21-25.15) but not females (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.24-2.85). Maternal RBC lead was not associated with any continuous outcomes in combined or sex-stratified analyses. CONCLUSIONS Maternal lead exposure, even at very low levels, may adversely affect some childbirth outcomes, particularly preterm birth among males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Perkins
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Departments of Preventive Medicine and Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | - Innocent Jayawardene
- Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women׳s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Emily Oken
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA.
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Hong YC, Kulkarni SS, Lim YH, Kim E, Ha M, Park H, Kim Y, Kim BN, Chang N, Oh SY, Kim YJ, Park C, Ha EH. Postnatal growth following prenatal lead exposure and calcium intake. Pediatrics 2014; 134:1151-9. [PMID: 25422017 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-1658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effects on postnatal growth of maternal exposure to low levels of lead during pregnancy have not been well established. In addition, information is limited regarding the protective effect of dietary calcium intake during pregnancy against the effect of lead for fetal and postnatal growth. We investigated the relationship between prenatal exposure to lead and growth at birth and 6, 12, and 24 months postnatal, and evaluated the role of calcium intake against the effect of lead. METHODS A total of 1150 pregnant women, and their subsequent offspring, enrolled in a prospective birth cohort study (Mothers and Children's Environmental Health Study), were evaluated. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to estimate the effects of prenatal maternal blood lead levels on growth at each follow-up. RESULTS The blood lead levels of participating mothers were <5.0 μg/dL and mean levels were 1.25 μg/dL during the early (before 20 gestational weeks) and late (at delivery) gestational periods. Prenatal exposure to lead, particularly in late pregnancy, was significantly associated with a reduction in infantile growth at 24 months. When pregnant women had dietary calcium intake at mean or upper level, the association was not significant. In contrast, lower than mean level of calcium intake intensified the adverse effect of prenatal lead exposure on growth in children. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal lead exposure <5.0 μg/dL adversely affects postnatal growth and low calcium intake aggravates the effect, indicating more stringent control of lead and sufficient intake of calcium are necessary to help children's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Chul Hong
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Medical Research Center
| | | | - Youn-Hee Lim
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Medical Research Center, Environmental Health Center and
| | | | - Mina Ha
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Yangho Kim
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Bung-Nyun Kim
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Namsoo Chang
- Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Young Oh
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and
| | - Young-Ju Kim
- Obstetrics Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chooghee Park
- Environmental Health Research Division, National Institute of Environment Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Dallaire R, Dewailly É, Ayotte P, Forget-Dubois N, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Muckle G. Growth in Inuit children exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls and lead during fetal development and childhood. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2014; 134:17-23. [PMID: 25042032 PMCID: PMC4262554 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because of their geographical location and traditional lifestyle, Canadian Inuit children are highly exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead (Pb), environmental contaminants that are thought to affect fetal and child growth. We examined the associations of these exposures with the fetal and postnatal growth of Inuit children. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort study among Inuit from Nunavik (Arctic Québec). Mothers were recruited at their first prenatal visit; children (n=290) were evaluated at birth and at 8-14 years of age. Concentrations of PCB 153 and Pb were determined in umbilical cord and child blood. Weight, height and head circumference were measured at birth and during childhood. RESULTS Cord blood PCB 153 concentrations were not associated with anthropometric measurements at birth or school age, but child blood PCB 153 concentrations were associated with reduced weight, height and head circumference during childhood. There was no association between cord Pb levels and anthropometric outcomes at birth, but cord blood Pb was related to smaller height and shows a tendency of a smaller head circumference during childhood. INTERPRETATION Our results suggest that chronic exposure to PCBs during childhood is negatively associated with skeletal growth and weight, while prenatal Pb exposure is related to reduced growth during childhood. This study is the first to link prenatal Pb exposure to poorer growth in school-age children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée Dallaire
- École de psychologie, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Éric Dewailly
- Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Nadine Forget-Dubois
- École de psychologie, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Gina Muckle
- École de psychologie, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada.
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Kahn LG, Liu X, Rajovic B, Popovac D, Oberfield S, Graziano JH, Factor-Litvak P. Blood lead concentration and thyroid function during pregnancy: results from the Yugoslavia Prospective Study of Environmental Lead Exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2014; 122:1134-40. [PMID: 24866691 PMCID: PMC4181923 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although maternal hypothyroidism increases the risk of adverse neonatal and obstetric outcomes as well as lower IQ in children, the environmental determinants of maternal thyroid dysfunction have yet to be fully explored. OBJECTIVES We aimed to examine associations between mid-pregnancy blood lead (BPb) and concomitant measures of thyroid function among participants in the Yugoslavia Prospective Study of Environmental Lead Exposure. METHODS As part of a population-based prospective study of two towns in Kosovo-one with high levels of environmental lead and one with low-women were recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy, at which time blood samples and questionnaire data were collected. We measured concentrations of BPb, free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) in archived serum samples. RESULTS Compared with women from the unexposed town, women from the exposed town had lower mean FT4 (0.91 ± 0.17 vs. 1.03 ± 0.16 ng/dL), higher mean TPOAb (15.45 ± 33.08 vs. 5.12 ± 6.38 IU/mL), and higher mean BPb (20.00 ± 6.99 vs. 5.57 ± 2.01 μg/dL). No differences in TSH levels were found. After adjustment for potential confounders, for each natural log unit increase in BPb, FT4 decreased by 0.074 ng/dL (95% CI: -0.10, -0.046 ng/dL), and the odds ratio for testing positive to TPOAb was 2.41 (95% CI: 1.53, 3.82). We found no association between BPb and TSH. CONCLUSIONS Prolonged lead exposure may contribute to maternal thyroid dysfunction by stimulating autoimmunity to the thyroid gland.
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Faulk C, Barks A, Sánchez BN, Zhang Z, Anderson OS, Peterson KE, Dolinoy DC. Perinatal lead (Pb) exposure results in sex-specific effects on food intake, fat, weight, and insulin response across the murine life-course. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104273. [PMID: 25105421 PMCID: PMC4126699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental lead (Pb) exposure has been associated with lower body weight in human infants and late onset obesity in mice. We determined the association of perinatal Pb exposure in mice with changes in obesity-related phenotypes into adulthood. Mice underwent exposure via maternal drinking water supplemented with 0 (control), 2.1 (low), 16 (medium), or 32 (high) ppm Pb-acetate two weeks prior to mating through lactation. Offspring were phenotyped at ages 3, 6, and 9 months for energy expenditure, spontaneous activity, food intake, body weight, body composition, and at age 10 months for glucose tolerance. Data analyses were stratified by sex and adjusted for litter effects. Exposed females and males exhibited increased energy expenditure as compared to controls (p<0.0001 for both). In females, horizontal activity differed significantly from controls (p = 0.02) over the life-course. Overall, food intake increased in exposed females and males (p<0.0008 and p<0.0001, respectively) with significant linear trends at 9 months in females (p = 0.01) and 6 months in males (p<0.01). Body weight was significantly increased in males at the medium and high exposures (p = 0.001 and p = 0.006). Total body fat differed among exposed females and males (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively). Insulin response was significantly increased in medium exposure males (p<0.05). Perinatal Pb exposure at blood lead levels between 4.1 µg/dL and 32 µg/dL is associated with increased food intake, body weight, total body fat, energy expenditure, activity, and insulin response in mice. Physiological effects of developmental Pb exposure persist and vary according to sex and age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Faulk
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Amanda Barks
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Brisa N. Sánchez
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Zhenzhen Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Olivia S. Anderson
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Karen E. Peterson
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Dana C. Dolinoy
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Determining prenatal, early childhood and cumulative long-term lead exposure using micro-spatial deciduous dentine levels. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97805. [PMID: 24841926 PMCID: PMC4026445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the validity of micro-spatial dentine lead (Pb) levels as a biomarker for accurately estimating exposure timing over the prenatal and early childhood periods and long-term cumulative exposure to Pb. In a prospective pregnancy cohort sub-sample of 85 subjects, we compared dentine Pb levels measured using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with Pb concentrations in maternal blood collected in the second and third trimesters, maternal bone, umbilical cord blood, and childhood serial blood samples collected from the ages of 3 months to ≥6 years. We found that Pb levels (as 208Pb:43Ca) in dentine formed at birth were significantly associated with cord blood Pb (Spearman ρ = 0.69; n = 27; p<0.0001). The association of prenatal dentine Pb with maternal patella Pb (Spearman ρ = 0.48; n = 59; p<0.0001) was stronger than that observed for tibia Pb levels (Spearman ρ = 0.35; n = 41; p<0.03). When assessing postnatal exposure, we found that Pb levels in dentine formed at 3 months were significantly associated with Pb concentrations in children's blood collected concurrently (Spearman ρ = 0.64; n = 55; p<0.0001). We also found that mean Pb concentrations in secondary dentine (that is formed from root completion to tooth shedding) correlated positively with cumulative blood lead index (Spearman ρ = 0.38; n = 75; p<0.0007). Overall, our results support that micro-spatial measurements of Pb in dentine can be reliably used to reconstruct Pb exposure timing over the prenatal and early childhood periods, and secondary dentine holds the potential to estimate long-term exposure up to the time the tooth is shed.
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García-Esquinas E, Aragonés N, Fernández MA, García-Sagredo JM, de León A, de Paz C, Pérez-Meixeira AM, Gil E, Iriso A, Cisneros M, de Santos A, Sanz JC, García JF, Asensio Á, Vioque J, López-Abente G, Astray J, Pollán M, Martínez M, González MJ, Pérez-Gómez B. Newborns and low to moderate prenatal environmental lead exposure: might fathers be the key? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 21:7886-7898. [PMID: 24647583 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-2738-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This study is part of the BioMadrid Project, a bio-monitoring study designed to assess pollutants in the environment surrounding children born in the Madrid region. Our aim in this report is to evaluate the association between prenatal lead exposure and fetal development using three biological samples (maternal and paternal blood lead at around 34 weeks of gestation as well as cord blood lead levels), three biomarkers of effect in cord blood peripheral lymphocytes (micronucleus in binucleated cells, nucleoplasmic bridges, and nuclear buds), and different anthropometrical characteristics at birth. Maternal and cord blood lead were not associated with newborn measurements or genotoxicity biomarkers. In contrast, increases in father blood lead were coupled with lower weight (mean difference (MD), -110.8 g; 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), -235.6 to 6.00; p < 0.10) and shorter abdominal (MD, -0.81 cm; 95%CI, -1.64 to 0.00; p < 0.05) and cephalic (MD, -0.32 cm; 95%CI, -0.65 to 0.00; p < 0.05) circumferences at birth as well as with the presence of nucleoplasmic bridges (odds ratio, 1.03; 95%CI, 1.00 to 1.06; p < 0.05) and nuclear buds (odds ratio, 1.02; 95%CI, 0.99 to 1.04; p < 0.10). These associations were mainly confined to female babies, in whom paternal lead was also inversely associated with length. Our results support the hypothesis that paternal lead exposure may be affecting the development of newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther García-Esquinas
- Environmental and Cancer Epidemiology Unit, National Centre for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III-ISCIII), C/ Sinesio Delgado 6, 28029, Madrid, Spain,
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Kazi TG, Shah F, Shaikh HR, Afridi HI, Shah A, Arain SS. Exposure of lead to mothers and their new born infants, residents of industrial and domestic areas of Pakistan. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 21:3021-3030. [PMID: 24174313 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-2223-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal and early-life exposure to lead (Pb) is hypothesized to have adverse effects on childhood health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prenatal exposure to Pb and its adverse effects on mothers and their infants who are residents of industrial (exposed) and domestic areas (referents) in Karachi, Pakistan. The biological samples (scalp hair and blood) of mother-infants pairs were analyzed for Pb levels by atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave-assisted acid digestion method. The Pb levels in scalp hair and blood samples of exposed mothers were found in the range of 7.52-8.70 μg/g and 115-270 μg/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than those values obtained for referent mothers (p < 0.001). The Pb levels in the blood (umbilical cord) and hair of neonates of exposed mother that were found in the range of 83-178 μg/L and 4.95-7.23 μg/g, respectively, were significantly higher than the obtained values of referent neonates (p > 0.001). The correlation between maternal and cord blood of both groups was found in the range of 0.708-0.724 (p < 0.01). It was observed that there were higher Pb burdens in exposed mothers and their infants as compared to referent mothers-neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasneem G Kazi
- National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, 76080, Pakistan,
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García-Esquinas E, Pérez-Gómez B, Fernández-Navarro P, Fernández MA, de Paz C, Pérez-Meixeira AM, Gil E, Iriso A, Sanz JC, Astray J, Cisneros M, de Santos A, Asensio Á, García-Sagredo JM, García JF, Vioque J, López-Abente G, Pollán M, González MJ, Martínez M, Aragonés N. Lead, mercury and cadmium in umbilical cord blood and its association with parental epidemiological variables and birth factors. BMC Public Health 2013; 13:841. [PMID: 24028648 PMCID: PMC3848449 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In Spain, few studies have evaluated prenatal exposure to heavy metals. The objective of this study was to describe lead, mercury and cadmium concentrations in blood from a sample of newborn–mother-father trios, as well as to investigate the association between metals in cord blood and parental variables. We also explored the relationship between cord blood metal concentrations and child characteristics at birth. Methods Metal correlations among family members were assessed using Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient. Linear regression was used to explore the association between parental variables and log-transformed cord blood lead and cord blood mercury concentrations. In the case of cadmium, tobit regression was used due to the existence of samples below the detection limit. The association between cord blood metal concentrations and child characteristics at birth was evaluated using linear regression. Results Geometric means for lead, mercury and cadmium were 14.09 μg/L, 6.72 μg/L and 0.27 μg/L in newborns; 19.80 μg/L, 3.90 μg/L and 0.53 μg/L in pregnant women; and 33.00 μg/L, 5.38 μg/L and 0.49 μg/L in men. Positive correlations were found between metal concentrations among members of the trio. Lead and cadmium concentrations were 15% and 22% higher in newborns from mothers who smoked during pregnancy, while mercury concentrations were 25% higher in newborns from mothers with greater fish intake. Cord-blood lead levels showed seasonal periodicity, with lower concentrations observed in winter. Cord blood cadmium concentrations over 0.29 μg/L were associated with lower 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores. Conclusions These results reinforce the need to establish biomonitoring programs in Spain, and provide support for tobacco smoke and fish consumption as important preventable sources of heavy metal exposure in newborns. Additionally, our findings support the hypothesis that cadmium exposure might be deleterious to fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther García-Esquinas
- Environmental and Cancer Epidemiology Unit, National Centre for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III - ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.
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Dwivedi D, Jain M, Jain S. An association between maternal lead and cadmium levels and birth weight of the babies in North Indian population. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.4236/ojog.2013.33061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Schell LM, Burnitz KK, Gallo MV. Growth as a mirror: is endocrine disruption challenging Tanner's concept? Ann Hum Biol 2012; 39:361-71. [PMID: 22780455 PMCID: PMC3514046 DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2012.697579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND James Tanner coined the expression 'Growth as a Mirror' and summarized in four words the results of more than a century of research on growth. Nineteenth century social reformers saw poor child growth as a reflection of terrible environmental conditions of the working class. Later investigators in anthropology and other fields clarified the connections between poor nutrition, disease, psychosocial stress and poor growth. AIM To evaluate the growth as a mirror concept in light of recent studies of endocrine disruption. PAPERS AND IMPLICATIONS: Pollution is recognized as a prominent component of the modern environment. From studies of many pollutants it is clear that some pollutants depress growth while others speed sexual maturation and increase growth, primarily in weight and fatness. While such unwelcome environmental features do not always suppress growth, growth still mirrors the environment in all its complexity and this relationship is key to understanding growth patterns today. For example, Akwesasne Mohawk adolescents are characterized by high rates of obesity and overweight. Their growth reflects the multiple intersecting influences of psychosocial stress, several pollutant exposures and limited dietary choices. CONCLUSION Although Tanner did not anticipate the myriad influences of pollutants, the growth as a mirror concept continues to have great validity and utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence M Schell
- Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany, A&S 237, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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Afeiche M, Peterson KE, Sánchez BN, Schnaas L, Cantonwine D, Ettinger AS, Solano-González M, Hernández-Avila M, Hu H, Téllez-Rojo MM. Windows of lead exposure sensitivity, attained height, and body mass index at 48 months. J Pediatr 2012; 160:1044-9. [PMID: 22284921 PMCID: PMC3360798 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Revised: 11/07/2011] [Accepted: 12/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine longitudinal associations of prenatal, infancy, and early childhood lead exposure during sensitive periods with height and body mass index (BMI). STUDY DESIGN A total of 773 participants were recruited between 1994 and 2005 in Mexico City. Lead exposure history categories were constructed for the prenatal period (maternal patellar lead concentration) and for infancy and childhood (mean child blood lead concentration at birth to 24 months and 30-48 months, respectively). Linear regression models were used to study lead exposure history with height and BMI at 48 months. RESULTS Mean height at age 48 months was significantly lower in children with a blood lead level exceeding the median during infancy (-0.84 cm; 95% CI, -1.42 to -0.25) than in children with a level below the median. Prenatal lead exposure was not associated with height at 48 months. Results for attained BMI generally trended in the same direction as for height. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest an effect of lead exposure early in life on height attainment at 48 months, with the exposure window of greatest sensitivity in infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Afeiche
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karen E Peterson
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts,Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Brisa N Sánchez
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Division of Research on Public Health, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, México
| | - David Cantonwine
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Adrienne S Ettinger
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts,Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Maritsa Solano-González
- Division of Statistics, Center for Surveys and Evaluation Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | | | - Howard Hu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- Division of Statistics, Center for Surveys and Evaluation Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
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Zhang A, Hu H, Sánchez BN, Ettinger AS, Park SK, Cantonwine D, Schnaas L, Wright RO, Lamadrid-Figueroa H, Tellez-Rojo MM. Association between prenatal lead exposure and blood pressure in children. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2012; 120:445-50. [PMID: 21947582 PMCID: PMC3295346 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1103736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Accepted: 09/21/2011] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead exposure in adults is associated with hypertension. Altered prenatal nutrition is associated with subsequent risks of adult hypertension, but little is known about whether prenatal exposure to toxicants, such as lead, may also confer such risks. OBJECTIVES We investigated the relationship of prenatal lead exposure and blood pressure (BP) in 7- to 15-year-old boys and girls. METHODS We evaluated 457 mother-child pairs, originally recruited for an environmental birth cohort study between 1994 and 2003 in Mexico City, at a follow-up visit in 2008-2010. Prenatal lead exposure was assessed by measurement of maternal tibia and patella lead using in vivo K-shell X-ray fluorescence and cord blood lead using atomic absorption spectrometry. BP was measured by mercury sphygmomanometer with appropriate-size cuffs. RESULTS Adjusting for relevant covariates, maternal tibia lead was significantly associated with increases in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) in girls but not in boys (p-interaction with sex = 0.025 and 0.007 for SBP and DBP, respectively). Among girls, an interquartile range increase in tibia lead (13 μg/g) was associated with 2.11-mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69, 3.52] and 1.60-mmHg (95% CI: 0.28, 2.91) increases in SBP and DBP, respectively. Neither patella nor cord lead was associated with child BP. CONCLUSIONS Maternal tibia lead, which reflects cumulative environmental lead exposure and a source of exposure to the fetus, is a predisposing factor to higher BP in girls but not boys. Sex-specific adaptive responses to lead toxicity during early-life development may explain these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimin Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2029, USA.
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Afeiche M, Peterson KE, Sánchez BN, Cantonwine D, Lamadrid-Figueroa H, Schnaas L, Ettinger AS, Hernández-Avila M, Hu H, Téllez-Rojo MM. Prenatal lead exposure and weight of 0- to 5-year-old children in Mexico city. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2011; 119:1436-41. [PMID: 21715242 PMCID: PMC3230436 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1003184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Accepted: 06/29/2011] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cumulative prenatal lead exposure, as measured by maternal bone lead burden, has been associated with smaller weight of offspring at birth and 1 month of age, but no study has examined whether this effect persists into early childhood. OBJECTIVE We investigated the association of perinatal maternal bone lead, a biomarker of cumulative prenatal lead exposure, with children's attained weight over time from birth to 5 years of age. METHODS Children were weighed at birth and at several intervals up until 60 months. Maternal tibia and patella lead were measured at 1 month postpartum using in vivo K-shell X-ray fluorescence. We used varying coefficient models with random effects to assess the association of maternal bone lead with weight trajectories of 522 boys and 477 girls born between 1994 and 2005 in Mexico City. RESULTS After controlling for breast-feeding duration, maternal anthropometry, and sociodemographic characteristics, a 1-SD increase in maternal patella lead (micrograms per gram) was associated with a 130.9-g decrease in weight [95% confidence interval (CI), -227.4 to -34.4 g] among females and a 13.0-g nonsignificant increase in weight among males (95% CI, -73.7 to 99.9 g) at 5 years of age. These associations were similar after controlling for concurrent blood lead levels between birth and 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Maternal bone lead was associated with lower weight over time among female but not male children up to 5 years of age. Given that the association was evident for patellar but not tibial lead levels, and was limited to females, results need to be confirmed in other studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Afeiche
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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43
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Bellinger DC. The protean toxicities of lead: new chapters in a familiar story. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2011; 8:2593-628. [PMID: 21845148 PMCID: PMC3155319 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph8072593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Revised: 06/17/2011] [Accepted: 06/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Many times in the history of lead toxicology the view that "the problem" has been solved and is no longer a major health concern has prevailed, only to have further research demonstrate the prematurity of this judgment. In the last decade, an extraordinary amount of new research on lead has illustrated, all too clearly, that "the problem" has not disappeared, and that, in fact, it has dimensions never before considered. Recent risk assessments have concluded that research has yet to identify a threshold level below which lead can be considered "safe." Although children's intelligence has traditionally been considered to be the most sensitive endpoint, and used as the basis for risk assessment and standard setting, increased lead exposure has been associated with a wide variety of other morbidities both in children and adults, in some cases at biomarker levels comparable to those associated with IQ deficits in children. In adults, these endpoints include all-cause mortality and dysfunctions in the renal, cardiovascular, reproductive, central nervous systems. In children, IQ deficits are observed at blood lead levels well below 10 μg/dL, and the dose-effect relationship appears to be supra-linear. Other health endpoints associated with greater early-life lead exposure in children include ADHD, conduct disorder, aggression and delinquency, impaired dental health, and delayed sexual maturation. Studies employing neuroimaging modalities such as volumetric, diffusion tensor, and functional MRI are providing insights into the neural bases of the cognitive impairments associated with greater lead exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Bellinger
- Children's Hospital Boston, Farley Basement Box 127, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Llop S, Aguinagalde X, Vioque J, Ibarluzea J, Guxens M, Casas M, Murcia M, Ruiz M, Amurrio A, Rebagliato M, Marina LS, Fernandez-Somoano A, Tardon A, Ballester F. Prenatal exposure to lead in Spain: cord blood levels and associated factors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2011; 409:2298-305. [PMID: 21397928 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2010] [Revised: 02/01/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2011] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Lead is a known neurotoxic. Fetuses and infants are very vulnerable to lead exposure, since their blood-brain barrier is not completely formed. Hence, there is an importance for monitoring of blood lead levels prenatally and during early infancy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prenatal exposure to lead and its association with maternal factors in four population based mother-child cohorts in Spain. The present research was carried out within the framework of the INMA project INfancia y Medio Ambiente (Environment and Childhood). METHODS A total of 1462 pregnant women were recruited between 2004 and 2008. Lead was analyzed in a sample of cord blood by thermal decomposition, amalgation, and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Maternal sociodemographic, lifestyle and dietary factors were obtained by questionnaires during pregnancy. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed. The dependent variable was a dichotomous lead level variable (detected vs no detected, i.e. ≥ vs < 2μg/dL). RESULTS A low percentage of cord blood samples with lead levels ≥ 2μg/dL were found (5.9%). Geometric mean and maximum were 1.06μg/dL and 19μg/dL, respectively. Smoking at the beginning of pregnancy, age, social class, weight gain during pregnancy, gravidity, and place of residence were the maternal factors associated with detectable cord blood lead levels. Mother's diet does not appear to be a determining factor of lead exposure. Nevertheless, daily intake of iron and zinc may act as a protective factor against having cord blood lead levels ≥ 2μg/dL. CONCLUSION In the different regions of Spain taking part in this study, lead levels to which newborns are exposed are low. Mobilization of lead from bones may be the main contributor to the cord blood levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Llop
- Centre of Public Health Research, Av Catalunya 21, 46020, Valencia, Spain.
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Leiss JK, Kotch JB. The importance of children's environmental health for the field of maternal and child health: a wake-up call. Matern Child Health J 2010; 14:307-17. [PMID: 20091109 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-009-0560-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack K Leiss
- Epidemiology Research Program, Cedar Grove Institute for Sustainable Communities, 6919 Lee Street, Mebane, NC 27302, USA.
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Kim BM, Ha M, Park HS, Lee BE, Kim YJ, Hong YC, Kim Y, Chang N, Roh YM, Kim BN, Oh SY, Ha EH. The Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study. Eur J Epidemiol 2009; 24:573-83. [PMID: 19629723 PMCID: PMC2744774 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-009-9370-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2009] [Accepted: 07/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The MOCEH study is a prospective hospital- and community-based cohort study designed to collect information related to environmental exposures (chemical, biological, nutritional, physical, and psychosocial) during pregnancy and childhood and to examine how exposure to environmental pollutants affects growth, development, and disease. The MOCEH network includes one coordinating center, four local centers responsible for recruiting pregnant women, and four evaluation centers (a nutrition center, bio-repository center, neurocognitive development center, and environment assessment center). At the local centers, trained nurses interview the participants to gather information regarding their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, complications related to the current gestation period, health behaviors and environmental factors. These centers also collect samples of blood, placenta, urine, and breast milk. Environmental hygienists measure each participant's level of exposure to indoor and outdoor pollutants during the pre- and postnatal periods. The participants are followed up through delivery and until the child is 5 years of age. The MOCEH study plans to recruit 1,500 pregnant women between 2006 and 2010 and to perform follow-up studies on their children. We expect this study to provide evidence to support the hypothesis that the gestational environment has an effect on the development of diseases during adulthood. We also expect the study results to enable evaluation of latency and age-specific susceptibility to exposure to hazardous environmental pollutants, evaluation of growth retardation focused on environmental and genetic risk factors, selection of target environmental diseases in children, development of an environmental health index, and establishment of a national policy for improving the health of pregnant women and their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung-Mi Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Center, Ewha Womans University, 911-1 Mok 6-dong, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul, Korea
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Zota AR, Ettinger AS, Bouchard M, Amarasiriwardena CJ, Schwartz J, Hu H, Wright RO. Maternal blood manganese levels and infant birth weight. Epidemiology 2009; 20:367-73. [PMID: 19289966 PMCID: PMC3113478 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0b013e31819b93c0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Manganese is both an essential element and a known neurotoxicant to children. High manganese exposures have been associated with negative reproductive outcomes in animals, but few epidemiologic studies have examined the effects of human fetal manganese exposure. METHODS We studied the association between maternal and umbilical cord blood manganese levels and birth weight in a cohort of 470 mother-infant pairs born at term (>or=37 weeks gestation) in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. Nonlinear spline and quadratic regression models were used to test the hypothesis of an inverted U-shaped relationship between manganese levels and birth weight. RESULTS Mean (standard deviation) concentration of manganese was 2.4 (0.95) microg/dL in the maternal blood and 4.2 (1.6) microg/dL in the cord blood. Umbilical cord manganese was not associated with birth weight. A nonlinear relationship was observed between maternal manganese and birth weight after adjusting for potential confounders. Birth weight increased with manganese levels up to 3.1 microg/L, and then a slight reduction in weight was observed at higher levels. Compared with the 3.1-microg/L point of inflection, birth weight estimates at the 5th (1.3 microg/L) and 95th (4.0 microg/L) percentiles of exposure were -160 g (95% confidence interval = -286 to -33) and -46 g (-38 to 131), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Maternal blood manganese levels during pregnancy are associated with birth weight in a nonlinear pattern in full-term infants. These findings suggest that manganese may affect fetal growth. Possible detrimental effects of elevated manganese levels on the fetus should be further examined in more highly exposed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami R Zota
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) C677T, A1298C and G1793A genotypes, and the relationship between maternal folate intake, tibia lead and infant size at birth. Br J Nutr 2009; 102:907-14. [PMID: 19338708 DOI: 10.1017/s0007114509318280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Small size at birth continues to be a problem worldwide and many factors, including reduced folate intake and Pb exposure, are associated with it. However, single factors rarely explain the variability in birth weight, suggesting a need for more complex explanatory models. We investigated environment-gene interactions to understand whether folate intake and maternal Pb exposure were associated with smaller newborn size in 474 women with uncomplicated pregnancies delivering term infants in Mexico City. We examined if folate intake modified the negative effects of maternal Pb burden on birth size. We also asked if maternal and infant methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotypes (C677T, A1298C and G1793A) modified the effects of folate intake or Pb exposure on birth size. Women were aged 24.6 (sd 5.1) years; 43.5 % were primiparous. Maternal blood Pb at delivery was 86 (sd 42) microg/l, with 26.7 % having levels > or = 100 microg/l. Tibia Pb level was 9.9 (SD 9.8) microg/g. Of the women, 35.3 % had folate intakes < 400 microg/d. Birth weight was 3170 (SD 422) g. In covariate-adjusted regressions, higher folate intake was associated with higher birth weight (beta 0.04; P < 0.05). Higher bone Pb was associated with lower birth weight (beta - 4.9; P < 0.05). Folate intake did not modify the effects of Pb on birth size, nor did MTHFR modify the association between Pb or folate intake on birth size. Although modest, the relationship between maternal nutrition, Pb burden and birth size does underscore the importance of environmental exposures to child health because patterns of fetal growth may affect health outcomes well into adulthood.
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Ettinger AS, Lamadrid-Figueroa H, Téllez-Rojo MM, Mercado-García A, Peterson KE, Schwartz J, Hu H, Hernández-Avila M. Effect of calcium supplementation on blood lead levels in pregnancy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2009; 117:26-31. [PMID: 19165383 PMCID: PMC2627861 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.11868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2008] [Accepted: 09/02/2008] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal lead exposure is associated with deficits in fetal growth and neurodevelopment. Calcium supplementation may attenuate fetal exposure by inhibiting mobilization of maternal bone lead and/or intestinal absorption of ingested lead. OBJECTIVE Our goal was to evaluate the effect of 1,200 mg dietary calcium supplementation on maternal blood lead levels during pregnancy. METHODS In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted from 2001 through 2003 in Mexico City, we randomly assigned 670 women in their first trimester of pregnancy to ingest calcium (n = 334) or placebo (n = 336). We followed subjects through pregnancy and evaluated the effect of supplementation on maternal blood lead, using an intent-to-treat analysis by a mixed-effects regression model with random intercept, in 557 participants (83%) who completed follow-up. We then conducted as-treated analyses using similar models stratified by treatment compliance. RESULTS Adjusting for baseline lead level, age, trimester of pregnancy, and dietary energy and calcium intake, calcium was associated with an average 11% reduction (0.4 microg/dL) in blood lead level relative to placebo (p = 0.004). This reduction was more evident in the second trimester (-14%, p < 0.001) than in the third (-8%, p = 0.107) and was strongest in women who were most compliant (those who consumed > or = 75% calcium pills; -24%, p < 0.001), had baseline blood lead > 5 microg/dL (-17%, p < 0.01), or reported use of lead-glazed ceramics and high bone lead (-31%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION Calcium supplementation was associated with modest reductions in blood lead when administered during pregnancy and may constitute an important secondary prevention effort to reduce circulating maternal lead and, consequently, fetal exposure.
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Lead hazards for pregnant women and children: part 1: immigrants and the poor shoulder most of the burden of lead exposure in this country. Part 1 of a two-part article details how exposure happens, whom it affects, and the harm it can do. Am J Nurs 2008; 108:40-9; quiz 50. [PMID: 18827541 DOI: 10.1097/01.naj.0000337736.76730.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Poor, urban, and immigrant populations are at far greater risk for lead exposure than are other groups in the United States. Children with even slightly elevated blood lead levels are at increased risk for significant neurobehavioral problems that can extend through adolescence. Research has shown that elevated blood lead levels in pregnant women, even those well below 10 micrograms per deciliter-the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "level of concern"-can cause miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, and subsequent developmental delays in their children. Despite these well-established dangers, routine prenatal lead screening and lead education is not a standard of care. Part 1 of this two-part article presents a short case example of a pregnant mother with lead poisoning and describes the epidemiology of lead exposure in the United States, the main sources of lead exposure, and the effects of lead on the pregnant mother and the developing fetus and child. Prevention is crucial. Treatment options such as chelation must be used selectively and will not reverse damage once it's occurred. Part 2 will describe recommendations for screening, education, nutrition, reducing environmental exposures, and treatment.
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