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Hasegawa K, Motoki N, Inaba Y, Toubou H, Shibazaki T, Nakayama SF, Kamijima M, Tsukahara T, Nomiyama T. Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Offspring Chromosomal Abnormalities: The Japan Environment and Children's Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:97004. [PMID: 39258902 PMCID: PMC11389478 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although recent in vitro experimental results have raised the question of whether maternal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may be a potential environmental risk factor for chromosomal abnormalities, epidemiological studies investigating these associations are lacking. OBJECTIVES This study examined whether prenatal PFAS exposure is associated with a higher prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities among offspring. METHODS We used data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide birth cohort study, and employed logistic regression models to examine the associations between maternal plasma PFAS concentrations in the first trimester and the diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities in all births (artificial abortions, miscarriages, stillbirths, and live births) up to 2 years of age. In addition, we examined associations with mixtures of PFAS using multipollutant models. RESULTS The final sample consisted of 24,724 births with singleton pregnancies, of which 44 confirmed cases of chromosomal abnormalities were identified (prevalence: 17.8/10,000 births). When examined individually, exposure to perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) showed positive associations with any chromosomal abnormalities with age-adjusted odds ratios of 1.81 (95% CI: 1.26, 2.61) and 2.08 (95% CI: 1.41, 3.07) per doubling in concentration, respectively. These associations remained significant after Bonferroni correction, although they did not reach the adjusted significance threshold in certain sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, the doubling in all PFAS included as a mixture was associated with chromosomal abnormalities, indicating an age-adjusted odds ratio of 2.25 (95% CI: 1.34, 3.80), with PFOS as the predominant contributor, followed by PFNA, perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). DISCUSSION The study findings suggested a potential association between maternal exposure to PFAS, particularly PFOS, and chromosomal abnormalities in offspring. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously, because selection bias arising from the recruitment of women in early pregnancy may explain the associations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13617.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Hasegawa
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Noriko Motoki
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Yuji Inaba
- Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Nagano Children's Hospital, Azumino, Japan
- Life Science Research Center, Nagano Children's Hospital, Azumino, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Toubou
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Takumi Shibazaki
- Department of Pediatrics, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Shoji F Nakayama
- Japan Environment and Children's Study Programme Office, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Michihiro Kamijima
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Teruomi Tsukahara
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Nomiyama
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
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Zhang X, Li Z. Assessing chronic gestational exposure to environmental chemicals in pregnant women: Advancing the co-PBK model. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 247:118160. [PMID: 38199464 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118160] [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: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and their fetuses, confront potential health risks due to exposure to environmental toxic compounds. Computational methods have been popular in assessing chemical exposure to populations, contrasting with traditional cohort studies for human biomonitoring. This study proposes a screening-level approach based on physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modeling to evaluate the steady-state exposure of pregnant women to environmental chemicals throughout pregnancy. To exemplify the modeling application, naphthalene was chosen. Simulation results indicated that maternal fat exhibited significant bioaccumulation potential, with the log-transformed BTF of naphthalene at 0.51 mg kg-1 per mg d-1 in the steady state. The placenta was primarily exposed to 0.83 mg/d naphthalene for a 75.2 kg pregnant woman, considering all exposure routes. In the fetal structure, single-organ fetal PBK modeling estimated a naphthalene exposure of 123.64 mg/d to the entire fetus, while multiple-organ fetal PBK modeling further revealed the bioaccumulation highest in fat tissue. The liver identified as the vital organ for metabolism, kBioT,LiverM was demonstrated with the highest sensitivity among rate constants in the maternal body. Furthermore, the first-order kinetic rate constants related to the placenta and blood were found to impact the distribution process of naphthalene in the fetus, influencing gestational exposure. In conclusion, urgent attention is needed to develop a computational biomonitoring tool for assessing toxic chemical exposure in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Zijian Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China.
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Fukushige M, Lu X, Satoh M, Oda M, Ohba T, Katoh T. Association between antinuclear antibody positivity and chemical exposure among pregnant Japanese women: A cross-sectional study based on the Japan environment and Children's study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 248:114094. [PMID: 36610096 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are detected in healthy individuals, they are more prevalent in women than in men. Pregnant women are immunologically unique, but epidemiological data on ANA positivity in them remain limited. The exposure received from the mother during the fetal period impacts the future health of the fetus and has thus received increased attention in recent years. Thus, we investigated the association between ANA positivity and chemical exposure among pregnant Japanese women, registered in the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). ANA titers were assessed by indirect immunofluorescence with HEp-2 cells at a cutoff dilution of 1:40. Sociodemographic and other data were obtained in the JECS from a self-administered questionnaire. We analyzed 1,235 Japanese women in their first trimester of pregnancy. The ANA prevalence was 17.2%. Among ANA-positive women, a speckled pattern was the most common (95.3%), followed by a homogeneous pattern (72.3%). Exposure to chemicals more than once a week significantly increased the probability of ANA positivity (kerosene, petroleum, benzene, or gasoline: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.11; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.03-4.34; chlorine bleach or germicide: AOR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.10-3.54; organic solvents: AOR, 5.34; 95% CI, 1.40-20.36; and photocopying machines or laser printers: AOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.17-2.54). ANA positivity was associated with exposure to several chemicals in Japanese women. Our exploratory results suggested that ANAs as potential markers of chemical exposure warrant further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mami Fukushige
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 4-24-1 Kuhonji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 862-0976, Japan; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Kuhonji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan; Kumamoto University Regional Centre, The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), 718, Medical Research Building, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
| | - Xi Lu
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Kuhonji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Minoru Satoh
- Department of Clinical Nursing, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka, 807-8555, Japan; Department of Medicine, Kitakyushu Yahata-Higashi Hospital, 2-1-17 Nishihonmachi, Yahatahigashi-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka, 805-0061, Japan
| | - Masako Oda
- Kumamoto University Regional Centre, The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), 718, Medical Research Building, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Takashi Ohba
- Kumamoto University Regional Centre, The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), 718, Medical Research Building, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Life Science, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka, 860-8556, Japan
| | - Takahiko Katoh
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Kuhonji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan; Kumamoto University Regional Centre, The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), 718, Medical Research Building, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan
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Aljarf R, Tang S, Pires DEV, Ascher DB. embryoTox: Using Graph-Based Signatures to Predict the Teratogenicity of Small Molecules. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:432-441. [PMID: 36595441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Teratogenic drugs can lead to extreme fetal malformation and consequently critically influence the fetus's health, yet the teratogenic risks associated with most approved drugs are unknown. Here, we propose a novel predictive tool, embryoTox, which utilizes a graph-based signature representation of the chemical structure of a small molecule to predict and classify molecules likely to be safe during pregnancy. embryoTox was trained and validated using in vitro bioactivity data of over 700 small molecules with characterized teratogenicity effects. Our final model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of up to 0.96 on 10-fold cross-validation and 0.82 on nonredundant blind tests, outperforming alternative approaches. We believe that our predictive tool will provide a practical resource for optimizing screening libraries to determine effective and safe molecules to use during pregnancy. To provide a simple and integrated platform to rapidly screen for potential safe molecules and their risk factors, we made embryoTox freely available online at https://biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/embryotox/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghad Aljarf
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon Tang
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
| | - Douglas E V Pires
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
| | - David B Ascher
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
- Systems and Computational Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
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