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Krzeczkowski JE, Hall M, Saint-Amour D, Oulhote Y, McGuckin T, Goodman CV, Green R, Muckle G, Lanphear B, Till C. Prenatal fluoride exposure, offspring visual acuity and autonomic nervous system function in 6-month-old infants. Environ Int 2024; 183:108336. [PMID: 38064923 PMCID: PMC10981044 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal fluoride exposure can have adverse effects on children's development; however, associations with visual and cardiac autonomic nervous system functioning are unknown. We examined associations between prenatal fluoride exposure and visual acuity and heart rate variability (HRV) in 6-month-old infants. METHODS We used data from Canadian mother-infant pairs participating in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) cohort. We estimated prenatal fluoride exposure using: i) fluoride concentration in drinking water (mg/L), ii) maternal urinary fluoride adjusted for specific gravity (MUFSG; mg/L) and averaged across pregnancy, and iii) maternal fluoride intake (µg/kg/day) from consumption of water, tea, and coffee, adjusted for maternal body weight (kg). We used multivariable linear regression to examine associations between each measure of fluoride exposure and Teller Acuity Card visual acuity scores (n = 435) and assessed HRV (n = 400) using two measures: root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and the standard deviation of N-N intervals (SDNN) measured at 6-months of age. RESULTS Median (IQR) values for water fluoride, MUFSG, and daily fluoride intake were 0.20 (IQR: 0.13-0.56) mg/L; 0.44 (0.28-0.70) mg/L and 4.82 (2.58-10.83) µg/kg/day, respectively. After adjustment for confounding variables, water fluoride concentration was associated with poorer infant visual acuity (B = -1.51; 95 % CI: -2.14,-0.88) and HRV as indicated by lower RMSSD (B = -1.60; 95 % CI: -2.74,-0.46) but not SDNN. Maternal fluoride intake was also associated with poorer visual acuity (B = -0.82; 95 % CI: -1.35,-0.29) and lower RMSSD (B = -1.22; 95 % CI: -2.15,-0.30). No significant associations were observed between MUFSG and visual acuity or HRV. CONCLUSION Fluoride in drinking water was associated with reduced visual acuity and alterations in cardiac autonomic function in infancy, adding to the growing body of evidence suggesting fluoride's developmental neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Krzeczkowski
- Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Meaghan Hall
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Faculté de médecine - Département d'ophtalmologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sina, New York, NY, USA
| | - Taylor McGuckin
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carly V Goodman
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rivka Green
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Canada; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Bruce Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine Till
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Fisher M, Muckle G, Lanphear B, Arbuckle TE, Braun JM, Zidek A, Vélez MP, Lupien N, Bastien S, Ashley-Martin J, Oulhote Y, Borghese MM, Walker M, Asztalos E, Bouchard MF, Booij L, Palmert MR, Morrison KM, Cummings EA, Khatchadourian K, Panagiotopoulos C, Glendon G, Shutt R, Abdul-Fatah A, Seal K, Fraser WD. Cohort profile update: The Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Child Development study (MIREC-CD PLUS). Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2023; 37:719-732. [PMID: 37921434 DOI: 10.1111/ppe.13013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pan-Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study was established to determine whether maternal environmental chemical exposures were associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in 2001 pregnant women. OBJECTIVES The MIREC-Child Development (CD PLUS) study followed this cohort with the goal of assessing the potential effects of prenatal exposures on anthropometry and neurodevelopment in early childhood. POPULATION MIREC families with children between the ages of 15 months and 5 years who had agreed to be contacted for future research (n = 1459) were invited to participate in MIREC-CD PLUS which combines data collected from an online Maternal Self-Administered Questionnaire with biomonitoring and neurodevelopment data collected from two in-person visits. PRELIMINARY RESULTS Between April 2013 and March 2015, 803 children participated in the Biomonitoring visit where we collected anthropometric measures, blood, and urine from the children. The Behavioural Assessment System for Children-2, Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function, MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories and the Communication subscale of the Adaptive Behaviour Scale from the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III are available on close to 900 children. There were 610 singleton children who completed in-person visits for neurodevelopment assessments including the Social Responsiveness Scale, Wechsler Preschool Primary Scale of Intelligence-III and NEuroPSYchological assessments (NEPSY). Currently, we are following the cohort into early adolescence to measure the impact of early life exposures on endocrine and metabolic function (MIREC-ENDO). CONCLUSIONS Data collection for the MIREC-CD PLUS study is complete and analysis of the data continues. We are now extending the follow-up of the cohort into adolescence to measure the impact of early life exposures on endocrine and metabolic function (MIREC-ENDO). MIREC-CD PLUS is limited by loss to follow-up and the fact that mothers are predominately of higher socioeconomic status and 'White' ethnicity, which limits our generalizability. However, the depth of biomonitoring and clinical measures in MIREC provides a platform to examine associations of prenatal, infancy and childhood exposures with child growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Fisher
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Bruce Lanphear
- Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Angelika Zidek
- Existing Substances and Risk Assessment Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Nicole Lupien
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephanie Bastien
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jillian Ashley-Martin
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael M Borghese
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Walker
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Asztalos
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maryse F Bouchard
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Linda Booij
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Centre/Eating Disorders Continuum, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mark R Palmert
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katherine M Morrison
- Department of Pediatrics, Centre for Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Constadina Panagiotopoulos
- Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Department of Pediatrics, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gord Glendon
- Ontario Cancer Genetics Network, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robin Shutt
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ammanie Abdul-Fatah
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kelsey Seal
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - William D Fraser
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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Zhang Y, Mustieles V, Wang YX, Sun Y, Agudelo J, Bibi Z, Torres N, Oulhote Y, Slitt A, Messerlian C. Folate concentrations and serum perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance concentrations in adolescents and adults in the USA (National Health and Nutrition Examination Study 2003-16): an observational study. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e449-e458. [PMID: 37286242 PMCID: PMC10901144 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00088-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of highly fluorinated aliphatic compounds, which are widely used in commercial applications, including food packaging, textiles, and non-stick cookware. Folate might counteract the effects of environmental chemical exposures. We aimed to explore the relationship between blood folate biomarker concentrations and PFAS concentrations. METHODS This observational study pooled cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003 to 2016 cycles. NHANES is a population-based national survey that measures the health and nutritional status of the US general population every 2 years by means of questionnaires, physical examination, and biospecimen collection. Folate concentrations in red blood cells and in serum, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) concentrations in serum were examined. We used multivariable regression models to assess the percentage change in serum PFAS concentrations in relation to changes in folate biomarker concentrations. We additionally used models with restricted cubic splines to investigate the shape of these associations. FINDINGS This study included 2802 adolescents and 9159 adults who had complete data on PFAS concentrations, folate biomarkers, and covariates, were not pregnant, and had never had a cancer diagnosis at the time of the survey. The mean age was 15·4 years (SD 2·3) for adolescents and 45·5 years (17·5) for adults. The proportion of male participants was slightly higher in adolescents (1508 [54%] of 2802 participants) than in adults (3940 [49%] of 9159 participants). We found negative associations between red blood cell folate concentrations and serum concentrations of PFOS (percentage change for a 2·7 fold-increase in folate level -24·36%, 95% CI -33·21 to -14·34) and PFNA (-13·00%, -21·87 to -3·12) in adolescents, and PFOA (-12·45%, -17·28 to -7·35), PFOS (-25·30%, -29·67 to -20·65), PFNA (-21·65%, -26·19 to -16·82), and PFHxS (-11·70%, -17·32 to 5·70) in adults. Associations for serum folate concentrations and PFAS were in line with those found for red blood cell folate levels, although the magnitude of the effects was lower. Restricted cubic spline models suggested linearity of the observed associations, particularly for associations in adults. INTERPRETATION In this large-scale, nationally representative study, we found consistent inverse associations for most examined serum PFAS compounds in relation to folate concentrations measured in either red blood cells or serum among both adolescents and adults. These findings are supported by mechanistic in-vitro studies that show the potential of PFAS to compete with folate for several transporters implicated in PFAS toxicokinetics. If confirmed in experimental settings, these findings could have important implications for interventions to reduce the accumulated PFAS body burden and mitigate the related adverse health effects. FUNDING United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vicente Mustieles
- University of Granada, Center for Biomedical Research, Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria Ibs Granada, Granada, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Zainab Bibi
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Torres
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | | | - Carmen Messerlian
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Cohen NJ, Yao M, Midya V, India-Aldana S, Mouzica T, Andra SS, Narasimhan S, Meher AK, Arora M, Chan JKY, Chan SY, Loy SL, Minguez-Alarcon L, Oulhote Y, Huang J, Valvi D. Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and women's fertility outcomes in a Singaporean population-based preconception cohort. Sci Total Environ 2023; 873:162267. [PMID: 36801327 PMCID: PMC10234267 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Experimental models have demonstrated a link between exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and decreased fertility and fecundability; however, human studies are scarce. We assessed the associations between preconception plasma PFAS concentrations and fertility outcomes in women. METHODS In a case-control study nested within the population-based Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes (S-PRESTO), we measured PFAS in plasma collected in 2015-2017 from 382 women of reproductive age trying to conceive. Using Cox proportional hazards regression (fecundability ratios [FRs]) and logistic regression (odds ratios [ORs]) models, we assessed the associations of individual PFAS with time-to-pregnancy (TTP), and the likelihoods of clinical pregnancy and live birth, respectively, over one year of follow-up, adjusting for analytical batch, age, education, ethnicity, and parity. We used Bayesian weighted quantile sum (BWQS) regression to assess the associations of the PFAS mixture with fertility outcomes. RESULTS We found a 5-10 % reduction in fecundability per quartile increase of exposure to individual PFAS (FRs [95 % CIs] for clinical pregnancy = 0.90 [0.82, 0.98] for PFDA; 0.88 [0.79, 0.99] for PFOS; 0.95 [0.86, 1.06] for PFOA; 0.92 [0.84, 1.00] for PFHpA). We observed similar decreased odds of clinical pregnancy (ORs [95 % CIs] = 0.74 [0.56, 0.98] for PFDA; 0.76 [0.53, 1.09] for PFOS; 0.83 [0.59, 1.17] for PFOA; 0.92 [0.70, 1.22] for PFHpA) and live birth per quartile increases of individual PFAS and the PFAS mixture (ORs [95 % CIs] = 0.61 [0.37, 1.02] for clinical pregnancy, and 0.66 [0.40, 1.07] for live birth). Within the PFAS mixture, PFDA followed by PFOS, PFOA, and PFHpA were the biggest contributors to these associations. We found no evidence of association for PFHxS, PFNA, and PFHpS and the fertility outcomes examined. CONCLUSIONS Higher PFAS exposures may be associated with decreased fertility in women. The potential impact of ubiquitous PFAS exposures on infertility mechanisms requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Cohen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Meizhen Yao
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Vishal Midya
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Sandra India-Aldana
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Tomer Mouzica
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Syam S Andra
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Srinivasan Narasimhan
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Anil K Meher
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Jerry Kok Yen Chan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore; Academic Clinical Program in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Shiao-Yng Chan
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - See Ling Loy
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore; Academic Clinical Program in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Lidia Minguez-Alarcon
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, United States of America
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Huang
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Damaskini Valvi
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America.
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Shah S, Mahamat-Saleh Y, Hajji-Louati M, Correia E, Oulhote Y, Boutron-Ruault MC, Laouali N. Palaeolithic diet score and risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women overall and by hormone receptor and histologic subtypes. Eur J Clin Nutr 2023; 77:596-602. [PMID: 36726032 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-023-01267-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Palaeolithic diet (PD) has gained popularity globally. There is emerging evidence of its putative health benefits as short-term effects on chronic diseases have been reported. We evaluated the association between long-term adherence to the PD and breast cancer (BC) risk among postmenopausal women. METHODS 65,574 women from the Etude Epidémiologique auprès de femmes de la Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale (E3N) cohort were followed from 1993 to 2014. Incident BC cases were identified and validated. The PD score was calculated using dietary intake self-reported at baseline (1993) and follow-up (2005) or baseline only if censored before follow-up. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate BC hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS Over a mean follow-up of 20 years, 3968 incident BC cases occurred. An increase of 1 standard deviation in the PD score was associated with an 8% lower BC risk, fully-adjusted model: HR1-SD 0.92, 95% CI; 0.89, 0.95. Compared to women with low adherence to the PD, women with high adherence had a 17% lower BC risk, HRQ5 vs Q1 0.83, 95% CI; 0.75, 0.92, Ptrend < 0.01. When considering BC subtypes, we observed the same pattern of association (Pheterogeneity > 0.10 for all). CONCLUSIONS High adherence to a PD characterised by fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, and lean meat and limited in dairy, grains, legumes, refined sugar, and alcohol was associated with a lower BC risk. The lack of heterogeneity according to BC subtypes could indicate the involvement of non-hormonal mechanisms. The protocol is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03285230. REGISTRY The protocol is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03285230.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanam Shah
- Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, Univ. Paris-Sud, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, "Exposome and Heredity" team, CESP, F-94805, Villejuif, France
| | - Yahya Mahamat-Saleh
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), 150 cours Albert Thomas, 69372, CEDEX 08, Lyon, France
| | - Mariem Hajji-Louati
- Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, Univ. Paris-Sud, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, "Exposome and Heredity" team, CESP, F-94805, Villejuif, France
| | - Emmanuelle Correia
- Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, Univ. Paris-Sud, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, "Exposome and Heredity" team, CESP, F-94805, Villejuif, France
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Marie-Christine Boutron-Ruault
- Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, Univ. Paris-Sud, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, "Exposome and Heredity" team, CESP, F-94805, Villejuif, France.
| | - Nasser Laouali
- Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, Univ. Paris-Sud, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, "Exposome and Heredity" team, CESP, F-94805, Villejuif, France
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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Vieyra G, Hankinson SE, Oulhote Y, Vandenberg LN, Tinker L, Manson JE, Shadyab AH, Thomson CA, Bao W, Allison M, Odegaard AO, Reeves KW. Association between urinary phthalate biomarker concentrations and adiposity among postmenopausal women. Environ Res 2023; 222:115356. [PMID: 36706896 PMCID: PMC9974871 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity is a leading risk factor for chronic diseases, potentially related to excess abdominal adiposity. Phthalates are environmental chemicals that have been suggested to act as obesogens, driving obesity risk. For the associations between phthalates and adiposity, prior studies have focused primarily on body mass index. We hypothesize that more refined measures of adiposity and fat distribution may provide greater insights into these associations given the role of central adiposity in chronic disease risk. OBJECTIVES To evaluate associations between urinary phthalate biomarkers and both visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT) among postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). METHODS We included 1125 WHI participants with available, coincident measurements of urinary phthalate biomarkers (baseline, year 3) and VAT and SAT (baseline, year 3, year 6). VAT and SAT measurements were estimated from DXA scans. Multilevel mixed-effects models estimated the prospective associations between urinary phthalate biomarkers at baseline and VAT and SAT three years later. RESULTS In multivariable adjusted models, we observed positive associations between some phthalate biomarkers, including the sum of di-isobutyl phthalate (ΣDiBP) biomarkers, MCNP, and ΣDEHP, with VAT three years later. For example, we observed positive associations between concentrations of ΣDiBP and VAT (Q4 vs Q1 β = 7.15, 95% CI -1.76-16.06; Q3 vs Q1 β = 10.94, 95% CI 3.55-18.33). Associations were generally attenuated but remained significant after additional adjustment for SAT. MBzP was positively associated with SAT. Other phthalate biomarkers investigated (MEP, MCOP, MCPP, ΣDBP) were not significantly associated with VAT or SAT. DISCUSSION Based on robust measures of adiposity, this study provides supportive evidence that higher urinary concentrations of select phthalate compounds were associated with higher VAT levels over time in postmenopausal women. Efforts to replicate these findings are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Vieyra
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Susan E Hankinson
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Lesley Tinker
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - JoAnn E Manson
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aladdin H Shadyab
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cynthia A Thomson
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Wei Bao
- Institute of Public Health, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Matthew Allison
- Department of Family Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Andrew O Odegaard
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Katherine W Reeves
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
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7
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Frndak S, Yu G, Oulhote Y, Queirolo EI, Barg G, Vahter M, Mañay N, Peregalli F, Olson JR, Ahmed Z, Kordas K. Reducing the complexity of high-dimensional environmental data: An analytical framework using LASSO with considerations of confounding for statistical inference. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 249:114116. [PMID: 36805184 PMCID: PMC10977870 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Frameworks for selecting exposures in high-dimensional environmental datasets, while considering confounding, are lacking. We present a two-step approach for exposure selection with subsequent confounder adjustment for statistical inference. METHODS We measured cognitive ability in 338 children using the Woodcock-Muñoz General Intellectual Ability (GIA) score, and potential associated features across several environmental domains. Initially, 111 variables theoretically associated with GIA score were introduced into a Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) in a 50% feature selection subsample. Effect estimates for selected features were subsequently modeled in linear regressions in a 50% inference (hold out) subsample, first adjusting for sex and age and later for covariates selected via directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). All models were adjusted for clustering by school. RESULTS Of the 15 LASSO selected variables, eleven were not associated with GIA score following our inference modeling approach. Four variables were associated with GIA scores, including: serum ferritin adjusted for inflammation (inversely), mother's IQ (positively), father's education (positively), and hours per day the child works on homework (positively). Serum ferritin was not in the expected direction. CONCLUSIONS Our two-step approach moves high-dimensional feature selection a step further by incorporating DAG-based confounder adjustment for statistical inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Frndak
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA.
| | - Guan Yu
- Department of Biostatistics: University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
| | - Elena I Queirolo
- Department of Neuroscience and Learning, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gabriel Barg
- Department of Neuroscience and Learning, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marie Vahter
- Department of Environmental Medicine: Karolinska Institute, Sweden
| | - Nelly Mañay
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Republic of Uruguay (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Fabiana Peregalli
- Department of Neuroscience and Learning, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - James R Olson
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA
| | - Zia Ahmed
- Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water (RENEW) Institute University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA
| | - Katarzyna Kordas
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA
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8
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Koemel NA, Senior AM, Benmarhnia T, Holmes A, Okada M, Oulhote Y, Parker HM, Shah S, Simpson SJ, Raubenheimer D, Gill TP, Laouali N, Skilton MR. Diet Quality, Microbial Lignan Metabolites, and Cardiometabolic Health among US Adults. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15061412. [PMID: 36986142 PMCID: PMC10054147 DOI: 10.3390/nu15061412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome has been shown to play a role in the relationship between diet and cardiometabolic health. We sought to examine the degree to which key microbial lignan metabolites are involved in the relationship between diet quality and cardiometabolic health using a multidimensional framework. This analysis was undertaken using cross-sectional data from 4685 US adults (age 43.6 ± 16.5 years; 50.4% female) participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1999–2010. Dietary data were collected from one to two separate 24-hour dietary recalls and diet quality was characterized using the 2015 Healthy Eating Index. Cardiometabolic health markers included blood lipid profile, glycemic control, adiposity, and blood pressure. Microbial lignan metabolites considered were urinary concentrations of enterolignans, including enterolactone and enterodiol, with higher levels indicating a healthier gut microbial environment. Models were visually examined using a multidimensional approach and statistically analyzed using three-dimensional generalized additive models. There was a significant interactive association between diet quality and microbial lignan metabolites for triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, insulin, oral glucose tolerance, adiposity, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure (all p < 0.05). Each of these cardiometabolic health markers displayed an association such that optimal cardiometabolic health was only observed in individuals with both high diet quality and elevated urinary enterolignans. When comparing effect sizes on the multidimensional response surfaces and model selection criteria, the strongest support for a potential moderating relationship of the gut microbiome was observed for fasting triglycerides and oral glucose tolerance. In this study, we revealed interactive associations of diet quality and microbial lignan metabolites with cardiometabolic health markers. These findings suggest that the overall association of diet quality on cardiometabolic health may be affected by the gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Koemel
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Alistair M. Senior
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- Sydney Centre for Precision Data Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Tarik Benmarhnia
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Mirei Okada
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Helen M. Parker
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Sanam Shah
- “Exposome and Heredity” Team, CESP, Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, University Paris-Sud, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, F-94805 Villejuif, France
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Timothy P. Gill
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Nasser Laouali
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- “Exposome and Heredity” Team, CESP, Paris-Saclay University, UVSQ, University Paris-Sud, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, F-94805 Villejuif, France
- Correspondence: (N.L.); (M.R.S.)
| | - Michael R. Skilton
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- Correspondence: (N.L.); (M.R.S.)
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9
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Fisher M, Marro L, Arbuckle TE, Potter BK, Little J, Weiler H, Morisset AS, Lanphear B, Oulhote Y, Braun JM, Kumarathasan P, Walker M, Borghese MM, Ashley-Martin J, Shutt R, Fraser WD. Association between toxic metals, vitamin D and preterm birth in the Maternal-Infant research on environmental chemicals study. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2023. [PMID: 36864001 DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxic metals, like lead, are risk factors for preterm birth (PTB), but few studies have examined low levels found in most Canadians. Vitamin D, which may have antioxidant activity, protects against PTB. OBJECTIVES In this study, we investigated the impact of toxic metals (lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic) on PTB and examined if maternal plasma vitamin D concentrations modify these associations. METHODS We investigated whether concentrations of metals in whole blood measured in early and late pregnancy were associated with PTB (<37 weeks) and spontaneous PTB in 1851 live births from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study using discrete time survival analysis. We also investigated whether the risk of PTB was modified by first-trimester plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations. RESULTS Of 1851 live births, 6.1% (n = 113) were PTBs and 4.9% (n = 89) were spontaneous PTB. A 1 μg/dL increase in blood lead concentrations during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of PTB (relative risk [RR] 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00, 2.20) and spontaneous PTB (RR 1.71, 95% CI 1.13, 2.60). The risk was higher in women with insufficient vitamin D concentrations (25OHD <50 nmol/L) for both PTB (RR 2.42, 95% CI 1.01, 5.79) and spontaneous PTB (RR 3.04, 95% CI 1.15, 8.04). However, an interaction on the additive scale was not present. Arsenic was associated with a higher risk of PTB (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02, 1.19) and spontaneous PTB (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03, 1.20) per 1 μg/L. CONCLUSIONS Gestational exposure to low levels of lead and arsenic may increase the risk of PTB and spontaneous PTB; individuals with insufficient vitamin D may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of lead. Given our relatively small number of cases, we encourage testing of this hypothesis in other cohorts, especially those with vitamin D-deficient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Fisher
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health (SEPH), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leonora Marro
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beth K Potter
- University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health (SEPH), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julian Little
- University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health (SEPH), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hope Weiler
- Nutrition Research Division, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Bruce Lanphear
- Simon Fraser University. Vancouver, British Columbia Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | | | - Mark Walker
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael M Borghese
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jillian Ashley-Martin
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robin Shutt
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - William D Fraser
- Centre de Recherche du CHUS, and Department of Obstetrics and gynecology, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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10
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Oulhote Y, Rouget F, Michineau L, Monfort C, Desrochers-Couture M, Thomé JP, Kadhel P, Multigner L, Cordier S, Muckle G. Prenatal and childhood chlordecone exposure, cognitive abilities and problem behaviors in 7-year-old children: the TIMOUN mother-child cohort in Guadeloupe. Environ Health 2023; 22:21. [PMID: 36843015 PMCID: PMC9969702 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-00970-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chlordecone is a highly persistent organochlorine insecticide that was intensively used in banana fields in the French West Indies, resulting in a widespread contamination. Neurotoxicity of acute exposures in adults is well recognized, and empirical data suggests that prenatal exposure affects visual and fine motor developments during infancy and childhood, with greater susceptibility in boys. OBJECTIVE To assess the associations between pre- and postnatal exposures to chlordecone and cognitive and behavioral functions in school-aged children from Guadeloupe. METHODS We examined 576 children from the TIMOUN mother-child cohort in Guadeloupe at 7 years of age. Concentrations of chlordecone and other environmental contaminants were measured in cord- and children's blood at age 7 years. Cognitive abilities of children were assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV), and externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors documented with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by the child's mother. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations between cord- and 7-years chlordecone concentrations and child outcomes using structural equations modeling, and tested effect modification by sex. RESULTS Geometric means of blood chlordecone concentrations were 0.13 µg/L in cord blood and 0.06 µg/L in children's blood at age 7 years. A twofold increase in cord blood concentrations was associated with 0.05 standard deviation (SD) (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.0, 0.10) higher internalizing problem scores, whereas 7-years chlordecone concentrations were associated with lower Full-Scale IQ scores (FSIQ) and greater externalized behavioral problem scores. A twofold increase in 7-year chlordecone concentrations was associated with a decrease of 0.67 point (95% CI: -1.13, -0.22) on FSIQ and an increase of 0.04 SD (95% CI: 0.0, 0.07) on externalizing problems. These associations with Cognitive abilities were driven by decreases in perceptive reasoning, working memory and verbal comprehension. Associations between 7-year exposure and perceptive reasoning, working memory, and the FSIQ were stronger in boys, whereas cord blood and child blood associations with internalizing problems were stronger in girls. CONCLUSIONS These results suggests that cognitive abilities and externalizing behavior problems at school age are impaired by childhood, but not in utero, exposure to chlordecone, and that prenatal exposure is related to greater internalizing behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Florence Rouget
- CHU De Rennes, Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut De Recherche En Santé, Environnement Et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Léah Michineau
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut De Recherche En Santé, Environnement Et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Christine Monfort
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut De Recherche En Santé, Environnement Et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Mireille Desrochers-Couture
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit, CHU De Québec Research Centre; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325 Rue Des Bibliothèques, Québec City, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Thomé
- LEAE-CART (Laboratoire d'Ecologie Animale Et d'Ecotoxicologie-Centre De Recherche Analytique Et Technologique), Université De Liège, B-4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Philippe Kadhel
- CHU De de La Guadeloupe, Univ Antilles, Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut De Recherche En Santé, Environnement Et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, Pointe-À-Pitre, France
| | - Luc Multigner
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut De Recherche En Santé, Environnement Et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Sylvaine Cordier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut De Recherche En Santé, Environnement Et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
| | - Gina Muckle
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit, CHU De Québec Research Centre; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325 Rue Des Bibliothèques, Québec City, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada.
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11
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Laouali N, Benmarhnia T, Lanphear BP, Oulhote Y. Associations with Blood Lead and Urinary Cadmium Concentrations in Relation to Mortality in the US Population: A Causal Survival Analysis with G-Computation. Toxics 2023; 11:toxics11020133. [PMID: 36851008 PMCID: PMC9966985 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11020133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Using the parametric g-formula, we estimated the 27-year risk of all-cause and specific causes of mortality under different potential interventions for blood lead (BLLs) and urinary cadmium (UCd) levels. We used data on 14,311 adults aged ≥20 years enrolled in the NHANES-III between 1988 and 1994 and followed up through 31 Dec 31 2015. Time and cause of death were determined from the National Death Index records. We used the parametric g-formula with pooled logistic regression models to estimate the relative and absolute risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality under different potential threshold interventions for BLLs and UCd concentrations. Median follow-up was 22.5 years. A total of 5167 (36%) participants died by the end of the study, including 1550 from cardiovascular diseases and 1135 from cancer. Increases in BLLs and creatinine-corrected UCd levels from the 5th to the 95th percentiles were associated with risk differences of 4.17% (1.54 to 8.77) and 6.22% (4.51 to 12.00) for all-cause mortality, 1.52% (0.09 to 3.74) and 1.06% (-0.57 to 3.50) for cardiovascular disease mortality, and 1.32% (-0.09 to 3.67) and 0.64% (-0.98 to 2.80) for cancer mortality, respectively. Interventions to reduce historical exposures to lead and cadmium may have prevented premature deaths, especially from cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasser Laouali
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA 95616, USA
- CESP UMR1018, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, 94800 Villejuif, France
- Correspondence:
| | - Tarik Benmarhnia
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA 95616, USA
| | - Bruce P. Lanphear
- Child and Family Research Institute, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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12
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Vieyra G, Hankinson SE, Oulhote Y, Vandenberg L, Tinker L, Mason J, Shadyab AH, Wallace R, Arcan C, Chen JC, Reeves KW. Dietary patterns and urinary phthalate exposure among postmenopausal women of the Women's Health Initiative. Environ Res 2023; 216:114727. [PMID: 36356671 PMCID: PMC10363918 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to a higher risk of numerous chronic health outcomes. Diet is a primary source of exposure, but prior studies exploring associations between dietary patterns and phthalate exposure are limited. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the associations between dietary patterns and urinary phthalate biomarkers among a subset of postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). METHODS We included WHI participants selected for a nested case-control study of phthalates and breast cancer (N = 1240). Dietary intake was measured via self-administered food frequency questionnaires at baseline and year-3. We used these data to calculate scores for alignment with the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), alternative Mediterranean (aMed), and Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) diets. We measured 13 phthalate metabolites and creatinine in 2-3 urine samples per participant collected over 3-years when all participants were cancer-free. We fit multivariable generalized estimating equation models to estimate the cross-sectional associations. RESULTS DASH and aMed dietary scores were inversely associated with the sum of di(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (-6.48%, 95% CI -9.84, -3.00; -5.23%, 95% CI -8.73, -1.60) and DII score was positively associated (9.00%, 95% CI 5.04, 13.11). DASH and aMed scores were also inversely associated with mono benzyl phthalate and mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate. DII scores were positively associated with mono benzyl phthalate and the sum of di-n-butyl phthalate. DISCUSSION Higher dietary alignment with DASH and aMed dietary patterns were significantly associated with lower concentrations of certain phthalate biomarkers, while an inflammatory diet pattern was associated with higher phthalate biomarker concentrations. These findings suggest that dietary patterns high in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat foods and low in processed foods may be useful in avoiding exposure to phthalates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Vieyra
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Susan E Hankinson
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Laura Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Ma, 01003, USA
| | - Lesley Tinker
- Department of Cancer Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - JoAnn Mason
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Aladdin H Shadyab
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert Wallace
- Department of Epidemiology and Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, USA
| | - Chrisa Arcan
- Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - J C Chen
- Department of Population & Public Health Sciences and Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katherine W Reeves
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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13
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Thompson KN, Oulhote Y, Weihe P, Wilkinson JE, Ma S, Zhong H, Li J, Kristiansen K, Huttenhower C, Grandjean P. Effects of Lifetime Exposures to Environmental Contaminants on the Adult Gut Microbiome. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:16985-16995. [PMID: 36394280 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Emerging experimental evidence indicates that toxicant-induced alterations in gut microbiota composition and activity may affect host homeostasis. However, data from human studies are scarce; to our knowledge, no previous studies have quantified the association of lifetime exposure to environmental chemicals, across multiple time points, with the composition of the adult gut microbiome. Here we studied 124 individuals born in the Faroe Islands in 1986-1987 who were followed approximately every seven years from birth through age 28 years. Organochlorine compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and mercury (Hg), were measured in cord blood and longitudinally in participants' blood. At age 28, the gut microbiome was assessed using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Historical contaminant exposures had little direct effect on the adult gut microbiome, while a small number of fastidious anaerobes were weakly linked to recent PFAS/PFOS exposures at age 28. In this cohort, our findings suggest no lasting effects of early life exposures on adult gut microbial composition, but proximal exposures may contribute to gut microbiome alterations. The methods developed and used for this investigation may help in future identification of small but lasting impacts of environmental toxicant exposure on the gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey N Thompson
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Pal Weihe
- University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn 100, Faroe Islands
| | - Jeremy E Wilkinson
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Siyuan Ma
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Huanzi Zhong
- Institute of Metagenomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Junhua Li
- Institute of Metagenomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Karsten Kristiansen
- Institute of Metagenomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 København, Denmark
- Institute of Metagenomics, Qingdao-Europe Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, Qingdao 266426, China
| | - Curtis Huttenhower
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
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Laouali N, Benmarhnia T, Oulhote Y. Potential benefits of joint hypothetical interventions on diet, lead, and cadmium on mortality in US adults. Environ Health 2022; 21:93. [PMID: 36195905 PMCID: PMC9533558 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00905-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies reported associations between high blood lead levels (BLLs) and urinary cadmium (UCd) concentrations and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. It is hypothesized that these associations are mediated by inflammation; therefore, adherence to an anti-inflammatory diet may mitigate these effects. We sought to estimate the potential effects of joint hypothetical interventions on metals levels and adherence to an anti-inflammatory diet or fruits and vegetables (FV) intake on the expected mortality distributions. METHODS We used data on 14,311 adults aged ≥ 20 years enrolled in the NHANES-III between 1988 and 1994 and followed up through Dec 31, 2015. We estimated daily FV servings and adherence to the dietary inflammatory index at baseline using 24-hour dietary recalls. Mortality was determined from the National Death Index records. We used the parametric g-formula with pooled logistic regression models to estimate the absolute risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality under different hypothetical interventions compared to the natural course (no intervention). RESULTS Overall, we observed a decreased mortality risk when intervening to lower metals levels or increasing adherence to an anti-inflammatory diet or the daily FV servings. The joint intervention to lower BLLs and UCd and increase the adherence to the anti-inflammatory diet had the strongest impact on cancer mortality risk (risk difference [RD] = -1.50% (-2.52% to -0.62%)) compared to the joint intervention only on metals levels RD= -0.97% (-1.89 to 0.70). The same pattern of associations was observed for the joint intervention to lower both metals and increased daily FV servings and cardiovascular diseases mortality risk. CONCLUSION Higher diet quality may constitute a complementary approach to the interventions to reduce exposures to cadmium and lead to further minimize their effects on mortality. A paradigm shift is required from a pollutant-focused only to a combination with a human-focused approach for primary prevention against these metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasser Laouali
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USA.
- Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP): Exposome and Heredity team, Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) U1018, Gustave Roussy Institute, 114 rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif Cedex, France.
| | - Tarik Benmarhnia
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
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Fisher M, Potter B, Little J, Oulhote Y, Weiler HA, Fraser W, Morisset AS, Braun J, Ashley-Martin J, Borghese MM, Shutt R, Kumarathasan P, Lanphear B, Walker M, Arbuckle TE. Blood metals and vitamin D status in a pregnancy cohort: A bidirectional biomarker analysis. Environ Res 2022; 211:113034. [PMID: 35240110 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), a biomarker of vitamin D status, is associated with reduced immune function and adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth. Observational studies indicate that long-term, high level exposure to metals such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) can impact a person's vitamin D status. However, the directionality of the association is uncertain, particularly for low-level exposures. We used three distinct longitudinal data analysis methods to investigate cross-sectional, longitudinal and bidirectional relationships of Cd and Pb biomarkers with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) in a Canadian pregnancy cohort. Maternal whole blood Cd and Pb and plasma 25OHD concentrations were measured in the 1st (n = 1905) and 3rd (n = 1649) trimester and at delivery (25OHD only, n = 1542). Our multivariable linear regression analysis showed weak inverse associations between Cd and 25OHD concentrations cross-sectionally and longitudinally while the latent growth curve models showed weak associations with Pb on the 25OHD intercept. In the bidirectional analysis, using cross lagged panel models, we found no association between 1st trimester metals and 3rd trimester 25OHD. Instead, 1st trimester 25OHD was associated with 9% (-15%, -3%) lower 3rd trimester Cd and 3% (-7, 0.1%) lower Pb. These findings suggest the 25OHD may modify metal concentrations in pregnancy and demonstrates the value of controlling for contemporaneous effects and the persistence of a biomarker over time, in order to rule out reverse causation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Fisher
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health, Canada; University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health (SEPH), Canada.
| | - Beth Potter
- University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health (SEPH), Canada
| | - Julian Little
- University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health (SEPH), Canada
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hope A Weiler
- Nutrition Research Division, Health Products and Food Branch, Health, Canada
| | | | | | - Joseph Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, USA
| | | | | | - Robin Shutt
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health, Canada
| | | | | | - Mark Walker
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canada
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health, Canada
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16
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Laouali N, Shah S, Oulhote Y, Benmarhnia T. Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, Biomarker Score for Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III). Curr Dev Nutr 2022. [PMCID: PMC9194418 DOI: 10.1093/cdn/nzac067.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Fruit and vegetable (FV) are part of a healthy diet as sufficient consumption has been associated with decreased incidence of a range of chronic diseases and mortality through changes in several biomarkers in blood. The present study aimed to examine the association between FV consumption and mortality among US adults, and the extent to which a composite score comprising of six biomarkers of FV intake and a biomarker of inflammation explained this association. Methods We used data on 13,892 adults aged ≥20 years enrolled in the NHANES-III between 1988 and 1994 and followed up through Dec 31, 2015. Daily serving of FV was assessed using 24-hour dietary recall and mortality was determined from the National Death Index records. Serum concentrations of lycopene, β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin C, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in blood samples. Multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between FV intake and mortality while controlling for confounding. We estimated the mediating effects of biomarkers associated with FV intake and inflammation on mortality through causal mediation analyses. Results Over the follow-up, 5023 participants died (1503 from cardiovascular diseases, 1110 from malignant neoplasms). Each increase in FV serving/day was associated with reduced risk of mortality from all-cause (HR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.99) and cardiovascular (HR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91–1.00), but not from malignant diseases (0.95, 95% CI: 0.60–1.23). The causal mediation analysis showed that the biomarker score of FV and CRP mediated approximately 4% and 50%, and 12% and 50% of the association between FV intake and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively. Conclusions Our findings confirmed the beneficial effects of FV intake and revealed that the associations were partly mediated by a reduction in circulating inflammatory biomarker. Funding Sources The “Fondation de France” The Philippe Foundation.
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17
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Zhang Y, Mustieles V, Sun Y, Oulhote Y, Wang YX, Messerlian C. Association between serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances concentrations and common cold among children and adolescents in the United States. Environ Int 2022; 164:107239. [PMID: 35447424 PMCID: PMC10250187 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exert immunosuppressive effects in experimental animals. Few epidemiologic studies investigated PFAS exposure and immune-related clinical outcomes such as common cold, especially during childhood when the immune system is developing. METHODS This study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and included 517 children 3-11 years (2013-2014 cycle) and 2732 adolescents 12-19 years (2003-2016 cycles). Serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) were quantified. Common cold was self-reported by the participant or parent as having a head cold or chest cold in the last month. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to examine the covariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) between individual PFAS concentrations and common cold incidence in the past month. The joint effect of PFAS mixtures was evaluated using Probit Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR). RESULTS A doubling of serum PFHxS concentration was associated with a 31% higher odds (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.62) of common cold among children. Serum PFNA (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.98) and PFOA (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 0.67, 2.62) concentrations were also related to common cold among children, as were serum PFOS concentrations among adolescents (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.32). ORs were higher in male than female children and adolescents. BKMR showed a clear increasing trend of common cold estimates across quantiles of the total PFAS mixture concentration among children, while no obvious pattern emerged in adolescents. DISCUSSION Among children in the United States, serum concentrations of PFAS mixtures, especially PFHxS and PFNA, were associated with higher odds of common cold. Among adolescents, PFOS was associated with increased common cold in the last month. This study contributes to the existing evidence supporting the immunotoxicity of PFAS in childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Vicente Mustieles
- University of Granada, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria Ibs GRANADA, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carmen Messerlian
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston, MA, USA
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18
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Bresson SE, Isom S, Jensen ET, Huber S, Oulhote Y, Rigdon J, Lovato J, Liese AD, Pihoker C, Dabelea D, Ehrlich S, Ruzzin J. Associations between persistent organic pollutants and type 1 diabetes in youth. Environ Int 2022; 163:107175. [PMID: 35303528 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetes affects millions of people worldwide with a continued increase in incidence occurring within the pediatric population. The potential contribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to diabetes in youth remains poorly known, especially regarding type 1 diabetes (T1D), generally the most prevalent form of diabetes in youth. OBJECTIVES We investigated the associations between POPs and T1D in youth and studied the impacts of POPs on pancreatic β-cell function and viability in vitro. METHODS We used data and plasma samples from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Case Control Study (SEARCH-CC). Participants were categorized as Controls, T1D with normal insulin sensitivity (T1D/IS), and T1D with insulin resistance (T1D/IR). We assessed plasma concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides and estimated the odds of T1D through multivariable logistic regression. In addition, we performed in vitro experiments with the INS-1E pancreatic β-cells. Cells were treated with PCB-153 or p,p'-DDE at environmentally relevant doses. We measured insulin production and secretion and assessed the mRNA expression of key regulators involved in insulin synthesis (Ins1, Ins2, Pdx1, Mafa, Pcsk1/3, and Pcsk2), glucose sensing (Slc2a2 and Gck), and insulin secretion (Abcc8, Kcnj11, Cacna1d, Cacna1b, Stx1a, Snap25, and Sytl4). Finally, we assessed the effects of PCB-153 and p,p'-DDE on β-cell viability. RESULTS Among 442 youths, 112 were controls, 182 were classified with T1D/IS and 148 with T1D/IR. The odds ratios (OR) of T1D/IS versus controls were statistically significant for p,p'-DDE (OR 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0, 3.8 and 2.4, 95% CI 1.2, 5.0 for 2nd and 3rd tertiles, respectively), trans-nonachlor (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.3, 5.0 and OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1, 5.1 for 2nd and 3rd tertiles, respectively), and PCB-153 (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1, 4.6 for 3rd tertile). However, these associations were not observed in participants with T1D/IR. At an experimental level, treatment with p,p'-DDE or PCB-153, at concentrations ranging from 1 × 10-15 M to 5 × 10-6 M, impaired the ability of pancreatic β-cells to produce and secrete insulin in response to glucose. These failures were paralleled by impaired Ins1 and Ins2 mRNA expression. In addition, among different targeted genes, PCB-153 significantly reduced Slc2a2 and Gck mRNA expression whereas p,p'-DDE mainly affected Abcc8 and Kcnj11. While treatment with PCB-153 or p,p'-DDE for 2 days did not affect β-cell viability, longer treatment progressively killed the β-cells. CONCLUSION These results support a potential role of POPs in T1D etiology and demonstrate a high sensitivity of pancreatic β-cells to POPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie E Bresson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Scott Isom
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | - Sandra Huber
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Rigdon
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - James Lovato
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Angela D Liese
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, SC, USA
| | - Catherine Pihoker
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center and Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Shelley Ehrlich
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jérôme Ruzzin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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19
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Rana J, Luna-Gutiérrez P, Haque SE, Ignacio Nazif-Muñoz J, Mitra DK, Oulhote Y. Associations between household air pollution and early child development among children aged 36-59 months in Bangladesh. J Epidemiol Community Health 2022; 76:667-676. [PMID: 35332101 PMCID: PMC9209676 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2021-217554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Household air pollution (HAP) from solid fuel use (SFU) for cooking may impact child health in low-resources countries. This study examined the associations between HAP and early childhood development (ECD) outcomes among children under 5 years of age in Bangladesh and explored potential effect modification by sex and urbanicity. Methods The study sample consisted of 9395 children aged 36–59 months in the households from the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019. SFU and levels of exposure to SFU (unexposed, moderately exposed and highly exposed) were used as proxies of HAP exposure. We estimated the covariate-adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% CIs for the associations between HAP and ECD outcomes using multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression models with a robust variance estimator. Results 81.4% of children were exposed to SFU, and the prevalence of developmental delay (in Early Childhood Development Index) was 25.3%. Children exposed to SFU were 1.47 times more likely to have developmental delays (95% CI: 1.25, 1.73; p<0.001) compared with children with no SFU exposure. SFU was significantly associated with developmental delay in socioemotional (aPR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.36; p=0.035) and learning-cognitive (aPR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.39, 2.60; p<0.001) domains. Similarly, children moderately exposed and highly exposed to HAP had higher prevalence of developmental delays than unexposed children. We did not observe effect modification by sex or urbanicity. Conclusion Public health policies should promote the use of clean cooking fuels and cookstoves to reduce the high burden of HAP exposure in low-resource countries for helping younger children to meet their developmental milestones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juwel Rana
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada .,Department of Public Health, School of Health and Life Sciences, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.,Research and Innovation, South Asian Institute for Social Transformation, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Syed Emdadul Haque
- UChicago Research Bangladesh, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - José Ignacio Nazif-Muñoz
- Programmes d'études et de recherche en toxicomanie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Environmental Health, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dipak Kumar Mitra
- Department of Public Health, School of Health and Life Sciences, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Raz R, Oulhote Y. Invited Perspective: Air Pollution and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Are We There Yet? Environ Health Perspect 2022; 130:11303. [PMID: 35040692 PMCID: PMC8765362 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Raanan Raz
- Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem–Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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21
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Rousseau C, Oulhote Y, Lecompte V, Mekki-Berrada A, Hassan G, El Hage H. Collective identity, social adversity and college student sympathy for violent radicalization. Transcult Psychiatry 2021; 58:654-668. [PMID: 31180826 DOI: 10.1177/1363461519853653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Identity issues have been at the forefront in studies on determinants of youth violent radicalization. Identity uncertainty and identity fusion appear to be associated with quests for meaning, which may find some answers in extremist discourses and radical engagements. This process has been considered to be particularly important for second-generation migrants who have to negotiate multiple identities, sometimes in situations of social adversity. This paper aims to understand the relations between collective identity, social adversity (discrimination and exposure to violence), and sympathy for violent radicalization in College students in Quebec. This mixed-method study consisted of a large online survey conducted at eight colleges in Quebec. Multilevel analysis accounted for the clustered nature of data while generalized additive mixed models were used to study nonlinear relations. Results highlight the complex associations between collective identity and youth sympathy for violent radicalization. They confirm that negative public representations of minority communities may lead to more sympathy for violent radicalization. Although results suggest that strong enough identities can act as protective anchorages for youth, they also indicate that when collective identity becomes too central in personal identity this may accentuate othering processes and legitimize violence toward the out-group. These results have implications for prevention programs. They indicate that improving the public image of minority communities through mainstream media or the social media may increase youth public self-esteem and decrease their sympathy for violent radicalization. They also invite the education field to foster the development of strong plural identities.
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Hagstrom AL, Anastas P, Boissevain A, Borrel A, Deziel NC, Fenton SE, Fields C, Fortner JD, Franceschi-Hofmann N, Frigon R, Jin L, Kim JH, Kleinstreuer NC, Koelmel J, Lei Y, Liew Z, Ma X, Mathieu L, Nason SL, Organtini K, Oulhote Y, Pociu S, Godri Pollitt KJ, Saiers J, Thompson DC, Toal B, Weiner EJ, Whirledge S, Zhang Y, Vasiliou V. Yale School of Public Health Symposium: An overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Sci Total Environ 2021; 778:146192. [PMID: 33714836 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
On December 13, 2019, the Yale School of Public Health hosted a symposium titled "Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Challenges and Opportunities" in New Haven, Connecticut. The meeting focused on the current state of the science on these chemicals, highlighted the challenges unique to PFAS, and explored promising opportunities for addressing them. It brought together participants from Yale University, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the Connecticut Departments of Public Health and Energy and Environmental Protection, and the public and private sectors. Presentations during the symposium centered around several primary themes. The first reviewed the current state of the science on the health effects associated with PFAS exposure and noted key areas that warranted future research. As research in this field relies on specialized laboratory analyses, the second theme considered commercially available methods for PFAS analysis as well as several emerging analytical approaches that support health studies and facilitate the investigation of a broader range of PFAS. Since mitigation of PFAS exposure requires prevention and cleanup of contamination, the third theme highlighted new nanotechnology-enabled PFAS remediation technologies and explored the potential of green chemistry to develop safer alternatives to PFAS. The fourth theme covered collaborative efforts to assess the vulnerability of in-state private wells and small public water supplies to PFAS contamination by adjacent landfills, and the fifth focused on strategies that promote successful community engagement. This symposium supported a unique interdisciplinary coalition established during the development of Connecticut's PFAS Action Plan, and discussions occurring throughout the symposium revealed opportunities for collaborations among Connecticut scientists, state and local officials, and community advocates. In doing so, it bolstered the State of Connecticut's efforts to implement the ambitious initiatives that its PFAS Action Plan recommends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Hagstrom
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Hartford, CT, USA; Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Rocky Hill, CT, USA
| | - Paul Anastas
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale School of the Environment, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Andrea Boissevain
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA; Stratford Health Department, Stratford, CT, USA
| | - Alexandre Borrel
- NIH/NIEHS/DIR Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Nicole C Deziel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Suzanne E Fenton
- NIH/NIEHS Division of the National Toxicology Program, NTP Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Cheryl Fields
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - John D Fortner
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Raymond Frigon
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Lan Jin
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jae-Hong Kim
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicole C Kleinstreuer
- NIH/NIEHS/DIR Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; NIH/NIEHS Division of the National Toxicology Program, NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jeremy Koelmel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yu Lei
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Zeyan Liew
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xiuqi Ma
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lori Mathieu
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Sara L Nason
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Youssef Oulhote
- School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Shannon Pociu
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Krystal J Godri Pollitt
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - James Saiers
- Yale School of the Environment, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David C Thompson
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Brian Toal
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Eric J Weiner
- Clean Water Task Force at Windsor Climate Action, Windsor, CT, USA
| | - Shannon Whirledge
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yawei Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Vasilis Vasiliou
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Nazif-Muñoz JI, Peña S, Oulhote Y. The global viralization of policies to contain the spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic: Analyses of school closures and first reported cases. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248828. [PMID: 33793570 PMCID: PMC8016240 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND On January 30th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a international health emergency due to the unprecedented phenomenon of COVID-19. After this declaration countries swiftly implemented a variety of health policies. In this work we examine how rapid countries responded to this pandemic using two events: the day in which the first case of COVID-19 was reported, and first day in which countries used school closure as one of the measures to avoid outbreaks. We also assessed how countries' health systems, globalization, economic development, political systems, and economic integration to China, Republic of Korea and Italy increased the speed of adoption. METHODS We compiled information from multiple sources, from December 31st 2019 to June 1st 2020, to trace when 172 countries reported their first COVID-19 case and implemented school closure to contain outbreaks. We applied cross-national Weibull survival analysis to evaluate the global speed of detection of first COVID-19 reported cases and school closure. RESULTS Ten days after WHO declared COVID-19 to be an international emergency, relative to seven days from this declaration, countries were 28 (95% CI: 12-77) times more likely to report first COVID-19 cases and 42 (95% CI: 22-90) times more likely to close schools. One standard deviation increase in the epidemic security index rises the rate of report first cases by 37% (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.37 (95% CI: 1.09-1.72) and delays the adoption for school closures by 36% (HR 0.64 (95% CI:0.50-0.82). One standard deviation increase in the globalization index augments the adoption for school closures by 74% (HR 1.74 (95% CI:1.34-2.24). CONCLUSION After the WHO declared a global emergency, countries were unprecedently acting very rapidly. While countries more globally integrated were swifter in closing schools, countries with better designed health systems to tackle epidemics were slower in adopting it. More studies are needed to assess how the speed of school closures and other policies will affect the development of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Ignacio Nazif-Muñoz
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Canada
- Department of Environmental Health, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sebastián Peña
- Department of Public Health Solutions, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Nazif-Munoz JI, Oulhote Y, Ouimet MC. The association between legalization of cannabis use and traffic deaths in Uruguay. Addiction 2020; 115:1697-1706. [PMID: 32003494 DOI: 10.1111/add.14994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS While cannabis use has been found to impair motor vehicle driving, the association between cannabis legalization and motor vehicle fatalities is unclear. In Uruguay in December 2013, cannabis for recreational purposes was legalized. This study assessed the association between implementation of this law and changes in traffic fatality rates. DESIGN Interrupted time-series analysis of traffic fatality rates of light motor vehicle drivers and motorcyclists in urban and rural settings. Changes are reported as step and trend effects against modeled trends in the absence of legalization. SETTING Uruguay, Montevideo and four rural provinces (Colonia, Florida, Río Negro and San José) from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2017. Cases and measurement Weekly traffic fatalities of light motor vehicle drivers and motorcyclists per type of vehicle. Data were gathered from the National Road Safety Agency of Uruguay and the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, respectively. RESULTS Cannabis legalization was associated with a 52.4% immediate increase [95% confidence interval (CI) = 11.6, 93.3, P = 0.012] in the light motor vehicle driver's fatality rate. However, no significant change in the motorcyclists' fatality rate was observed. In Montevideo the legislation was associated with an absolute increase in its light motor vehicle driver's fatality rate by 0.06 (95% CI = 0.01, 0.11, P = 0.025), but no significant associations were observed in rural settings. CONCLUSIONS In Uruguay, the 2013 legislation legalizing recreational cannabis consumption may have been associated with an increase in fatal motor vehicle crashes, particularly in light motor-vehicle drivers and urban settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Ignacio Nazif-Munoz
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.,T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- School of Public Health, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Marie Claude Ouimet
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
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Nazif-Muñoz JI, Spengler JD, Arku RE, Oulhote Y. Solid fuel use and early child development disparities in Ghana: analyses by gender and urbanicity. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2020; 30:698-706. [PMID: 32366880 PMCID: PMC8075970 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-020-0224-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In Ghana, more than 77% of the population depends on biomass fuels for cooking. Previous studies show that solid fuel use (SFU) has adverse effects on pregnancy and child health outcomes. Yet, no previous study considered potential effects on early child development indicators (ECDI), nor how SFU effects may vary by gender, and rural and urban areas. We investigated the associations of SFU with ECDI measures, and whether these associations exhibited sex and urban/rural differences. We used the 2011-2012 Ghana's Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys-UNICEF (N = 3326 children; 3-4 years). We derived a binary ECDI measure reflecting whether the child is developmentally on track or not from a caregiver-report of ten yes/no/do not know questions designed specifically to assess four domains of early child development: learning-cognition, literacy-numeracy, socio-emotional, and physical. We used multilevel Poisson regressions adjusting for neighborhood, household, mother, and child's characteristics to estimate covariate-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) of the associations between SFU and ECDI and its four dimensions. We run stratified analyses and used z-score tests of differences to evaluate effect modification by sex and urbanicity. Overall, 85% of children were exposed to SFU and 28% of children were not developmentally on track. After adjustment for confounders, children exposed to SFU were more likely to be not developmentally on track in comparison with nonexposed children (PR = 1.16; 95% confidence interval, [95% CI]: 1.10,1.22). These associations were stronger in girls (PR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.03,1.79) in comparison with boys (PR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.73,1.04). No difference in associations was observed between urban and rural children. Overall, these associations were mainly driven by the literacy-numeracy dimension. In this study, we show that SFU was associated with developmental delays in Ghanaian girls. Policy efforts which tackle SFU should be mindful of gender disparities in susceptibility to indoor pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Ignacio Nazif-Muñoz
- Department of Environmental Health-T. H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Longueuil, QC, Canada.
| | - John D Spengler
- Department of Environmental Health-T. H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Raphael E Arku
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health-T. H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
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Timmermann CAG, Pedersen HS, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Bjerregaard P, Oulhote Y, Weihe P, Nielsen F, Grandjean P. Environmental chemical exposures among Greenlandic children in relation to diet and residence. Int J Circumpolar Health 2020; 78:1642090. [PMID: 31339476 PMCID: PMC6711189 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2019.1642090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify geographic, dietary, and other predictors for childhood exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and methylmercury in Greenlandic children. The study includes cross-sectional data from 367 Greenlandic children aged 7 to 12 years examined during 2012-2015. A parent or guardian participated in a structured interview, and a blood sample from the child was analysed for PFASs, PCBs and total mercury. Predictors for the environmental exposures were identified using linear regression. Area of residence was found to have the strongest explanatory power, accounting for 24% to 68% of the variance in the serum concentrations. Information about diet was available for two-thirds of the children, and among these, consumption of traditional Greenlandic food accounted for 2% to 10% of the variance in the biomarker concentrations. Models including all predictors associated with at least one of the environmental chemicals explained 19% to 54% of the total variance. In conclusion, area is a likely proxy for a traditional marine diet, and together area and diet constitute the most important predictors of exposure to methylmercury, PCBs and PFASs among Greenlandic children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henning Sloth Pedersen
- a Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark , Odense C , Denmark.,b Greenland Centre for Health Research, University of Greenland , Nuuk , Greenland
| | | | - Peter Bjerregaard
- b Greenland Centre for Health Research, University of Greenland , Nuuk , Greenland.,d National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark , Copenhagen K , Denmark
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- e Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Pál Weihe
- f Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System , Tórshavn , Faroe Islands.,g Center of Health Science, University of The Faroe Islands , Tórshavn , Faroe Islands
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- a Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark , Odense C , Denmark
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- a Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark , Odense C , Denmark.,e Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
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Nazif-Muñoz JI, Batomen B, Oulhote Y, Spengler J, Nandi A. State or market? How to effectively decrease alcohol-related crash fatalities and injuries. J Epidemiol Community Health 2020; 74:502-509. [PMID: 32238476 PMCID: PMC7320794 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2019-213191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background It is estimated that more than 270 000 people die yearly in alcohol-related crashes globally. To tackle this burden, government interventions, such as laws which restrict blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels and increase penalties for drunk drivers, have been implemented. The introduction of private-sector measures, such as ridesharing, is regarded as alternatives to reduce drunk driving and related sequelae. However, it is unclear whether state and private efforts complement each other to reduce this public health challenge. Methods We conducted interrupted time-series analyses using weekly alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries per 1 000 000 population in three urban conglomerates (Santiago, Valparaíso and Concepción) in Chile for the period 2010–2017. We selected cities in which two state interventions—the ‘zero tolerance law’ (ZTL), which decreased BAC, and the ‘Emilia law’ (EL), which increased penalties for drunk drivers—were implemented to decrease alcohol-related crashes, and where Uber ridesharing was launched. Results In Santiago, the ZTL was associated with a 29.1% decrease (95% CI 1.2 to 70.2), the EL with a 41.0% decrease (95% CI 5.5 to 93.2) and Uber with a non-significant 28.0% decrease (95% CI −6.4 to 78.5) in the level of weekly alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries per 1 000 000 population series. In Concepción, the EL was associated with a 28.9% reduction (95% CI 4.3 to 62.7) in the level of the same outcome. In Valparaíso, the ZTL had a −0.01 decrease (95% CI −0.02 to −0.00) in the trend of weekly alcohol-related crashes per 1 000 000 population series. Conclusion In Chile, concomitant decreases of alcohol-related crashes were observed after two state interventions were implemented but not with the introduction of Uber. Relationships between public policy interventions, ridesharing and motor vehicle alcohol-related crashes differ between cities and over time, which might reflect differences in specific local characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose I Nazif-Muñoz
- Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Canada .,Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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28
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Xiao C, Grandjean P, Valvi D, Nielsen F, Jensen TK, Weihe P, Oulhote Y. Associations of Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances With Thyroid Hormone Concentrations and Birth Size. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020; 105:dgz147. [PMID: 31665456 PMCID: PMC7112969 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgz147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adequate thyroid function during pregnancy is essential for optimal fetal growth. Gestational exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can negatively affect birth size and disrupt maternal and neonatal thyroid function, although the interrelationship is unclear. OBJECTIVE We aimed to quantify the associations between maternal serum-PFAS concentrations and birth weight, birth length, and cranial circumference. We also aimed to estimate associations between PFAS and thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations, thereby elucidating whether THs potentially mediate the associations between PFAS concentrations and birth size. METHODS We studied a population-based prospective cohort of 172 mother-singleton pairs from the Faroe Islands. Twelve PFAS were measured in maternal serum obtained at 34 weeks of gestation. THs were measured in maternal and cord serum. Associations between PFAS concentrations and birth size and TH concentrations were estimated using multivariable linear regressions. Sex-stratified analyses along with a mediation analysis were performed to estimate potential mediating effects of THs in the association between PFAS and birth outcomes. RESULTS Several PFASs were negatively associated with birth weight, length, and head circumference, and a general positive association between maternal serum-PFASs and cord serum-thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH; also known as thyrotropin) was found. For instance, a doubling in perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was associated with a 53% (95% CI, 18%-99%) and 40% (95% CI, 8%-81%) increases in TSH concentrations, respectively. There was little evidence of sexually dimorphic associations. Overall, THs were not found to mediate associations between PFASs and birth size. CONCLUSION In this study, several PFASs were negatively associated with birth size and increased THs; however, this did not explain lower birth weight among children exposed to PFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Xiao
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- EHESP-School of Public Health, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Rennes, France
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Damaskini Valvi
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Pal Weihe
- The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Massachusetts
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Polevoy C, Arbuckle TE, Oulhote Y, Lanphear BP, Cockell KA, Muckle G, Saint-Amour D. Prenatal exposure to legacy contaminants and visual acuity in Canadian infants: a maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals study (MIREC-ID). Environ Health 2020; 19:14. [PMID: 32028962 PMCID: PMC7006412 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-020-0567-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to environmental contaminants can have deleterious effects on child development. While psychomotor, cognitive and behavioural outcomes have been investigated in relation to chronic exposure, the associations with visual functions remains unclear. The present study's aim was to assess the associations of prenatal exposure to legacy persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals with visual acuity in Canadian infants. The potential protective effects of selenium against mercury toxicity were also examined. METHODS Participants (mean corrected age = 6.6 months) were part of the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), lead and mercury were measured in maternal blood during pregnancy, as well as in the cord blood. The Teller acuity card test (TAC) (n = 429) and the visual evoked potentials in a sub-group (n = 63) were used to estimate behavioural and electrophysiological visual acuity, respectively. Multivariable linear regression models were used to investigate the relationship between exposure to each contaminant and visual acuity measures, while controlling for potential confounders. Breastmilk selenium, which was available for about half of the TAC and VEP samples, was also taken into account in the mercury models as exploratory analyses. RESULTS We observed no significant associations between exposure to any contaminants and TAC. Analyses revealed a negative trend (p values < 0.1) between cord blood lead and mercury and electrophysiological visual acuity, whereas PCB and PBDE showed no association. When adding breastmilk selenium concentration to the mercury models, this association became statistically significant for cord concentrations (β = - 3.41, 95% CI = - 5.96,-0.86), but also for blood levels at 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy (β = - 3.29, 95% CI = - 5.69,-0.88). However, further regression models suggested that this change in estimates might not be due to adjustment for selenium, but instead to a change in the study sample. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that subtle, but detectable alterations of infant electrophysiological visual acuity can be identified in a population prenatally exposed to low mercury concentrations. Compared to behavioural visual acuity testing, electrophysiological assessment may more sensitive in detecting visual neurotoxicity in relation with prenatal exposure to mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Polevoy
- Centre de recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine, QC, Montréal, Canada
- Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, QC, Montréal, Canada
| | - T E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Y Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public health and health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - B P Lanphear
- BC Children's Hospital, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - K A Cockell
- Nutrition Research Division, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - G Muckle
- École de psychologie, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - D Saint-Amour
- Centre de recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine, QC, Montréal, Canada.
- Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, QC, Montréal, Canada.
- Département d'ophtalmologie, Université de Montréal, QC, Montréal, Canada.
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Oulhote Y, Lanphear B, Braun JM, Webster GM, Arbuckle TE, Etzel T, Forget-Dubois N, Seguin JR, Bouchard MF, MacFarlane A, Ouellet E, Fraser W, Muckle G. Gestational Exposures to Phthalates and Folic Acid, and Autistic Traits in Canadian Children. Environ Health Perspect 2020; 128:27004. [PMID: 32073305 PMCID: PMC7064316 DOI: 10.1289/ehp5621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The etiology of autism spectrum disorder is poorly understood. Few studies have investigated the link between endocrine-disrupting chemicals and autistic traits. We examined the relationship between gestational phthalates and autistic traits in 3- to 4-y-old Canadian children. We also investigated potential effect modification by sex and folic acid supplementation. METHODS We enrolled 2,001 women>18 years of age during the first trimester of pregnancy between 2008 and 2011 from 10 cities in Canada. At 3-4 years of age, 610 children underwent neuropsychological assessments including the Social Responsiveness Scale-II (SRS-2) as a measure of autistic traits and social impairment. We measured 11 phthalate metabolites in maternal first trimester urine samples and assessed folic acid supplementation from reported intakes. We estimated covariate-adjusted differences in SRS-2 T-scores with a doubling in phthalate concentrations in 510 children with complete data. RESULTS Mean total SRS T-score was 45.3 (SD=6.1). Children with higher gestational exposure to mono-n-butyl (MBP) and mono-3-carboxypropyl (MCPP) concentrations exhibited significantly higher total SRS T-scores, indicating greater overall social impairment, as well as higher scores on subdomains, indicating deficits in social cognition, social communication, social motivation, and restricted interests/repetitive behaviors. A doubling in MBP or MCPP concentrations was associated with 0.6 (95% CI: 0.1, 1.0) and 0.5 (95% CI: 0.1, 0.8) higher total SRS T-scores. Associations were consistently and significantly stronger in boys (βMBP=1.0; 95% CI: 0.4, 1.6; n=252) compared with girls (βMBP=0.1; 95% CI: -0.6, 0.7; n=258) and among children who had lower prenatal folic acid supplementation (<400μg/d) (βMBP=1.3; 95% CI: 0.4, 2.3; n=59) compared with those who had adequate folic acid supplementation (≥400μg/d) (βMBP=0.4; 95% CI: -0.1, 0.8; n=451). CONCLUSIONS Higher gestational concentrations of some phthalate metabolites were associated with higher scores of autistic traits as measured by the SRS-2 in boys, but not girls; these small size effects were mitigated by first trimester-of-pregnancy folic acid supplementation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5621.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Research Centre and School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bruce Lanphear
- Child and Family Research Institute, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joseph M. Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Glenys M. Webster
- Child and Family Research Institute, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tye E. Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Taylor Etzel
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Nadine Forget-Dubois
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Research Centre and School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean R. Seguin
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre and Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maryse F. Bouchard
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre and Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Emmanuel Ouellet
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Research Centre and School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - William Fraser
- Centre de Sherbrooke Research Centre, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Research Centre and School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
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Rousseau C, Miconi D, Frounfelker RL, Hassan G, Oulhote Y. A repeated cross-sectional study of sympathy for violent radicalization in Canadian college students. Am J Orthopsychiatry 2020; 90:406-418. [PMID: 31985240 DOI: 10.1037/ort0000444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The upsurge in violent radicalization is associated with a global increase in social inequalities and conflicts related to different markers of identity. To date, literature on the factors associated with legitimizing violence toward others is cross-sectional and does not provide information on the possible change of this phenomenon over time. Such information is necessary to design primary prevention programs that are adapted to and address a rapidly evolving social context. We use a repeated cross-sectional study design to explore the association between sociodemographic characteristics and scores on the Sympathy for Violent Radicalization Scale (SVR) in Quebec (Canada) college students at 2 times points. Results from an online survey completed by students of 6 colleges in 2015 (n = 854) and 2017 (n = 702) indicate that although overall scores on the SVR scale remained stable, there were changes in the association between age, identity, and the outcome at the two time points. Specifically, scores on the SVR were significantly higher among younger students in 2017 than in 2015. In addition, in 2017 we observed a relationship between collective identity and SVR that was not present in 2015. These results align with other recent studies in Canada and the U.S. documenting the emergence of new forms of youth politicized bullying associated with race, ethnicity, and religion. A close monitoring of the phenomenon is warranted to both better understand the impact of populist policies on the increase in hate incidents and crimes and develop programs to address these forms of violence from a public health perspective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Rousseau
- Division of Social and Cultural Psychiatry, McGill University
| | - Diana Miconi
- Division of Social and Cultural Psychiatry, McGill University
| | | | - Ghayda Hassan
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
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Eskenazi B, Etzel RA, Sripada K, Cairns MR, Hertz-Picciotto I, Kordas K, Machado Torres JP, Mielke HW, Oulhote Y, Quirós-Alcalá L, Suárez-López JR, Zlatnik MG. The International Society for Children's Health and the Environment Commits to Reduce Its Carbon Footprint to Safeguard Children's Health. Environ Health Perspect 2020; 128:14501. [PMID: 31909653 PMCID: PMC7015537 DOI: 10.1289/ehp6578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The Lancet Countdown and the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change declared that the worst impacts of climate change are and will continue to be felt disproportionately by children. Children are uniquely vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, including heat stress, food scarcity, increases in pollution and vector-borne diseases, lost family income, displacement, and the trauma of living through a climate-related disaster. These stressors can result in long-lasting physical and mental health sequelae. Based upon these concerns associated with climate change, the International Society for Children's Health and the Environment developed a statement about ways in which the Society could take action to reduce its contribution of greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of this article is to report our Society's plans in hopes that we may stimulate other scientific societies to take action. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6578.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research & Children’s Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Ruth A. Etzel
- Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kam Sripada
- Centre for Global Health Inequalities Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Maryann R. Cairns
- Department of Anthropology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Katarzyna Kordas
- School of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - João Paulo Machado Torres
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Howard W. Mielke
- School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lesliam Quirós-Alcalá
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - José R. Suárez-López
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Marya G. Zlatnik
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Shelly C, Grandjean P, Oulhote Y, Plomgaard P, Frikke-Schmidt R, Nielsen F, Zmirou-Navier D, Weihe P, Valvi D. Early Life Exposures to Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Relation to Adipokine Hormone Levels at Birth and During Childhood. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 104:5338-5348. [PMID: 31216000 PMCID: PMC6773461 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2019-00385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birth cohort studies have linked exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) with child anthropometry. Metabolic hormone dysregulation needs to be considered as a potential adverse outcome pathway. We examined the associations between PFAS exposures and concentrations of adipokine hormones from birth to adolescence. METHODS We studied 80 mother-child pairs from a Faroese cohort born in 1997 to 2000. Five PFASs were measured in maternal pregnancy serum and in child serum at ages 5, 7, and 13 years. Leptin, adiponectin, and resistin were analyzed in cord serum and child serum at the same ages. We fitted multivariable-adjusted generalized estimating equations to assess the associations of PFASs at each age with repeated adipokine concentrations at concurrent and subsequent ages. RESULTS We observed tendencies of inverse associations between PFASs and adipokine hormones specific to particular ages and sex. Significant associations with all adipokines were observed for maternal and child 5-year serum PFAS concentrations, whereas associations for PFASs measured at ages 7 to 13 years were mostly null. The inverse associations with leptin and adiponectin were seen mainly in females, whereas the inverse PFAS associations with resistin levels were seen mainly in males. Estimates for significant associations (P value <0.05) suggested mean decreases in hormone levels (range) by 38% to 89% for leptin, 16% to 70% for adiponectin, and 33% to 62% for resistin for each twofold increase in serum PFAS concentration. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest adipokine hormone dysregulation in early life as a potential pathway underlying PFAS-related health outcomes and underscore the need to further account for susceptibility windows and sex-dimorphic effects in future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Shelly
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- EHESP-School of Public Health, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Rennes, France
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Peter Plomgaard
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ruth Frikke-Schmidt
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Pal Weihe
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Damaskini Valvi
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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Rousseau C, Hassan G, Miconi D, Lecompte V, Mekki-Berrada A, El Hage H, Oulhote Y. From social adversity to sympathy for violent radicalization: the role of depression, religiosity and social support. Arch Public Health 2019; 77:45. [PMID: 31666951 PMCID: PMC6813961 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-019-0372-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discrepancies among studies suggest that the relation between social adversity and sympathy for violent radicalization (SVR) is multifaceted and may differ according to social context. This paper examines the role of depression, religiosity and social support in the relation between social adversity (i.e., discrimination and exposure to violence) and SVR among college students in Quebec, Canada. METHODS A total of 1894 students responded to an online questionnaire posted on the internet of eight colleges. Multilevel analyses were first conducted to account for the clustered nature of the data, followed by mediation and moderation analyses. RESULTS First generation migrants reported less SVR than second generation youth and non-immigrants. The mediating and/or moderating role of depression, religiosity and social support was examined through causal inference models. Depression mediated the relation between social adversity and SVR, with depression scores accounting for 47% and 25% of the total effect between discrimination and exposure to violence and SVR scores, respectively. Religiosity and social support moderated the association between social adversity and SVR. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that prevention programs should consider violent radicalization as a systemic issue which involves both minorities and the majority, although the specific balance between risk and protective factors may be influenced by local dynamics. They also question intervention measures targeting specifically migrants or ethno-cultural communities because of the risk of increasing profiling and stigmatization. Prevention programs should prioritize decreasing discrimination in colleges, as well as the provision of psychosocial support to depressed youth who experience social adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Rousseau
- Division of Social and Cultural Psychiatry, SHERPA Research Center, McGill University, CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l’lle-de-Montreal, CSSS de la Montagne (Park Extension), 7085 Hutchison, Suite 204.2, Montreal, QC H3N 1Y9 Canada
| | - Ghayda Hassan
- UQAM, J.-A.-DeSeve Pavillon, Suite DS-1900, 320 Sainte-Catherine St. E., Montreal, QC H2X 1L7 Canada
| | - Diana Miconi
- CLSC Parc Extension, McGill University, 7085 Hutchison, Room 304-AA, Montreal, QC H3N 1Y9 Canada
| | - Vanessa Lecompte
- McGill University, James Administration Building, 845 Sherbrooke St. W., Room 400, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4 Canada
| | - Abdelwahed Mekki-Berrada
- Anthropology Department, Laval University, Charles-De Koninck Pavillon, Suite 6403, 1030 Sciences humaines Av., Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Habib El Hage
- Rosemont College, C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8 Canada
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- School of Public health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Arnold House, 716 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003 Canada
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Oulhote Y, Coull B, Bind MA, Debes F, Nielsen F, Tamayo I, Weihe P, Grandjean P. Joint and independent neurotoxic effects of early life exposures to a chemical mixture: A multi-pollutant approach combining ensemble learning and g-computation. Environ Epidemiol 2019; 3:e063. [PMID: 32051926 PMCID: PMC7015154 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to mercury (Hg) is associated with adverse developmental effects. However, Hg occurs with a multitude of chemicals. We assessed the associations of developmental exposure to multiple pollutants with children's neurodevelopment using a novel approach. METHODS Hg, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and perfluoroalkyl substances were measured in maternal and children's blood at 5-years (n=449 and 419). At 7-years, children were administered Boston Naming Test (BNT) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We used the G-formula combined with SuperLearner to estimate independent and joint effects of chemicals at both ages. We constructed flexible exposure-response relationships and assessed interactions. RESULTS Most chemicals showed negative relationships with BNT scores. An inter-quartile range (IQR) increase in maternal Hg and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was associated with 0.15 standard deviation [SD] (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -0.29,-0.03) and 0.14 SD (95%CI: -0.26,-0.05) lower scores in BNT, whereas a joint IQR increase in the mixture of chemicals was associated with 0.48 SD (95%CI: -0.69,-0.25) lower scores in BNT. An IQR increase in PFOA was associated with 0.11 SD (95%CI: 0.02,0.26) higher total SDQ difficulties scores. Maternal ∑PCBs concentrations were associated with lower SDQ scores (β=-0.09 SD; 95%CI: -0.19,0), whereas 5-years ∑PCBs showed a negative association (β=-0.09 SD; 95%CI: -0.21,0). Finally, a joint IQR increase in the mixture was associated with 0.22 SD (95%CI: 0.04,0.4) higher SDQ scores. CONCLUSIONS Using a novel statistical approach, we confirmed associations between prenatal mercury exposure and lower cognitive function. The potential developmental effects of PFASs need additional attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, UMASS- Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brent Coull
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marie-Abele Bind
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Frodi Debes
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ibon Tamayo
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Pal Weihe
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Eryasa B, Grandjean P, Nielsen F, Valvi D, Zmirou-Navier D, Sunderland E, Weihe P, Oulhote Y. Physico-chemical properties and gestational diabetes predict transplacental transfer and partitioning of perfluoroalkyl substances. Environ Int 2019; 130:104874. [PMID: 31200157 PMCID: PMC7029428 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a growing public health concern. Some longer chain PFASs bioaccumulate and many compounds persist in the environment for long time periods. Recent studies have established their ability to pass through placenta, yet data on the transplacental transfer efficiency and partitioning of short and long chain PFASs in blood matrices are limited. OBJECTIVES To assess predictors of the partitioning of 17 PFAS compounds detected in the maternal serum, umbilical cord serum and whole cord blood samples from matched mother-newborn pairs from two Faroe Islands cohorts. METHODS We examined 151 mother-newborn pairs from two successive Faroese birth cohorts. Cord:maternal serum (transplacental transfer) and serum:whole cord blood (blood partitioning) ratios were estimated for 17 PFAS compounds. We also examined the relationships of these ratios with maternal, newborns', and physico-chemical properties using multivariable regression analyses. RESULTS Moderate to high correlations were observed between maternal and cord serum PFAS concentrations (ρ: 0.41 to 0.95), indicating significant transfer of these compounds from the mother to the fetus. Median transplacental transfer ratios were generally below 1, except for perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA), and ranged between 0.36 for perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) and perfluoroundecanoate (PFUnDA) and 1.21 for FOSA. Most PFASs exhibited a preference to the serum component of the blood, except FOSA and perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA), with blood partitioning ratios ranging from 0.36 for FOSA to 2.75 for PFUnDA. Both the functional groups and carbon chain length of different PFASs were important predictors of transplacental transfer and blood partitioning. We observed a U-shaped relationship between transplacental transfer ratios and carbon chain length for perfluorocarboxylates and perfluorosulfonates. Importantly, gestational diabetes was also a strong predictor of transplacental transfer ratios, with significantly higher transfer in mothers with gestational diabetes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide a better understanding of the transplacental transfer and blood partitioning of a large number of PFAS compounds. Results elucidate the importance of chemical structure for future risk assessments and choice of appropriate blood matrices for measurement of PFAS compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berrak Eryasa
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America; EHESP-School of Public Health, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Rennes, France
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America; University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Damaskini Valvi
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | | | - Elsie Sunderland
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Pal Weihe
- The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States of America.
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Desrochers-Couture M, Oulhote Y, Arbuckle TE, Fraser WD, Séguin JR, Ouellet E, Forget-Dubois N, Ayotte P, Boivin M, Lanphear BP, Muckle G. Prenatal, concurrent, and sex-specific associations between blood lead concentrations and IQ in preschool Canadian children. Environ Int 2018; 121:1235-1242. [PMID: 30392942 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead exposure predicts altered neurodevelopment and lower intelligence quotient (IQ) in children, but few studies have examined this association in children who have relatively low blood lead concentrations. OBJECTIVES To test the associations between blood lead concentrations and cognitive function in Canadian preschoolers, with a possible moderation by sex. METHODS The data were gathered from 609 mother-child pairs from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study. Lead was measured in umbilical and maternal blood, and in children's venous blood at age 3-4 years. Cognitive function was measured with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) at 3-4 years. We tested the relationship between WPPSI-III scores and blood lead concentrations with multiple linear regression, adding child sex as a moderator. RESULTS Median blood lead concentrations for the mother at 1st trimester and 3rd trimester of pregnancy, and for cord and child blood were 0.60 μg/dL, 0.58 μg/dL, 0.79 μg/dL and 0.67 μg/dL, respectively. We found no association between cord blood lead concentrations and WPPSI-III scores in multivariable analyses. However, cord blood lead concentrations showed a negative association with Performance IQ in boys but not in girls (B = 3.44; SE = 1.62; 95% CI: 0.82, 5.98). No associations were found between WPPSI-III scores and prenatal maternal blood or concurrent child blood lead concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal blood lead concentrations below 5 μg/dL were still associated with a decline in cognitive function in this Canadian cohort, but only for boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Desrochers-Couture
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - William D Fraser
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Université de Sherbrooke, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
| | - Jean R Séguin
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Montreal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Emmanuel Ouellet
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Nadine Forget-Dubois
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de toxicologie du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
| | - Michel Boivin
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec, Canada.
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Desrochers-Couture M, Oulhote Y, Arbuckle TE, Fraser WD, Séguin JR, Ouellet E, Forget-Dubois N, Ayotte P, Boivin M, Lanphear BP, Muckle G. Prenatal, concurrent, and sex-specific associations between blood lead concentrations and IQ in preschool Canadian children. Environ Int 2018; 121:1235-1242. [PMID: 30392942 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead exposure predicts altered neurodevelopment and lower intelligence quotient (IQ) in children, but few studies have examined this association in children who have relatively low blood lead concentrations. OBJECTIVES To test the associations between blood lead concentrations and cognitive function in Canadian preschoolers, with a possible moderation by sex. METHODS The data were gathered from 609 mother-child pairs from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study. Lead was measured in umbilical and maternal blood, and in children's venous blood at age 3-4 years. Cognitive function was measured with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) at 3-4 years. We tested the relationship between WPPSI-III scores and blood lead concentrations with multiple linear regression, adding child sex as a moderator. RESULTS Median blood lead concentrations for the mother at 1st trimester and 3rd trimester of pregnancy, and for cord and child blood were 0.60 μg/dL, 0.58 μg/dL, 0.79 μg/dL and 0.67 μg/dL, respectively. We found no association between cord blood lead concentrations and WPPSI-III scores in multivariable analyses. However, cord blood lead concentrations showed a negative association with Performance IQ in boys but not in girls (B = 3.44; SE = 1.62; 95% CI: 0.82, 5.98). No associations were found between WPPSI-III scores and prenatal maternal blood or concurrent child blood lead concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal blood lead concentrations below 5 μg/dL were still associated with a decline in cognitive function in this Canadian cohort, but only for boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Desrochers-Couture
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - William D Fraser
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Université de Sherbrooke, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
| | - Jean R Séguin
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Montreal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Emmanuel Ouellet
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Nadine Forget-Dubois
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de toxicologie du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
| | - Michel Boivin
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Quebec, Québec, Canada.
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Oulhote Y, Tremblay É, Arbuckle TE, Fraser WD, Lemelin JP, Séguin JR, Ouellet E, Forget-Dubois N, Ayotte P, Boivin M, Dionne G, Lanphear BP, Muckle G. Prenatal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and predisposition to frustration at 7 months: Results from the MIREC study. Environ Int 2018; 119:79-88. [PMID: 29940431 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) has been associated with cognitive deficits and behavioral problems in children. To date, no study has examined this exposure in association with neurobehavioral development in infants younger than 12 months assessed with observational tasks. OBJECTIVES This study examined the relation between prenatal PBDE concentrations and predisposition to frustration, assessed by the arm restraint task (ART), in Canadian infants. METHODS In a prospective longitudinal study conducted in Canada, exposure to nine PBDE congeners was measured in maternal plasma during the first trimester of pregnancy. The ART was used to measure predisposition to frustration in infancy (N = 333; mean age = 6.9 months), as assessed by negative vocalizations (crying and screaming) and physical reactivity (discomfort movements). RESULTS Maternal plasma PBDE-47 concentrations collected during pregnancy were associated with negative vocalizations using the ART (adjusted Relative Risk [aRR] = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.09). Prenatal PBDE-99 concentrations during pregnancy were also related to a shift to the left in the tail of the distribution of onset of negative vocalizations as measured by a decrease of 38 s (95% CI: -78.1, 1.3) in the 75th quantile of the distribution for infants whose mothers had detectable levels of PBDE-99 compared to infants of mothers with undetectable levels. Similarly, infants whose mothers had detectable levels of PBDE-100 showed an increase of 24.1 s (95% CI: 4.1, 44.1) in the 75th quantile of the distribution of proportion of time in negative vocalizations compared with infants of mothers with undetectable levels. Finally, the association between PBDE-47 and PBDE-153, and physical reactivity was significantly modified by sex (p < 0.1), with opposite patterns in girls and boys. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal exposure to PBDEs was associated with increased incidence of crying and screaming with delayed onset of discomfort movement, which may indicate a predisposition to frustration and lack of habituation in infants younger than 12 months from the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Oulhote
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Émilie Tremblay
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - William D Fraser
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mère-Enfant, Montréal, Qc, Canada; Département d'Obstétrique et Gynécologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada
| | - Jean-Pascal Lemelin
- Département de psychoéducation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada
| | - Jean R Séguin
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mère-Enfant, Montréal, Qc, Canada; Département de psychiatrie et addictologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qc, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Ouellet
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Nadine Forget-Dubois
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada; Centre de Toxicologie du Québec, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Michel Boivin
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Ginette Dionne
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada; Child and Family Research Institute, BC Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
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Nwanaji-Enwerem JC, Bind MA, Dai L, Oulhote Y, Colicino E, Di Q, Just AC, Hou L, Vokonas P, Coull BA, Weisskopf MG, Baccarelli AA, Schwartz JD. Editor's Highlight: Modifying Role of Endothelial Function Gene Variants on the Association of Long-Term PM2.5 Exposure With Blood DNA Methylation Age: The VA Normative Aging Study. Toxicol Sci 2018; 158:116-126. [PMID: 28486674 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have reported robust associations of long-term PM2.5 exposure with DNA methylation-based measures of aging; yet, the molecular implications of these relationships remain poorly understood. We evaluated if genetic variation in 3 biological pathways implicated in PM2.5-related disease-oxidative stress, endothelial function, and metal processing-could modify the effect of PM2.5 on DNAm-age, one prominent DNA methylation-based measure of biological age. This analysis was based on 552 individuals from the Normative Aging Study with at least one visit between 2000 and 2011 (n = 940 visits). A genetic-score approach was used to calculate aging-risk variant scores for endothelial function, oxidative stress, and metal processing pathways. One-year PM2.5 and PM2.5 component (sulfate and ammonium) levels at participants' addresses were estimated using the GEOS-chem transport model. Blood DNAm-age was calculated using CpG sites on the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. In fully-adjusted linear mixed-effects models, the effects of sulfate on DNAm-age (in years) were greater in individuals with high aging-risk endothelial function variant scores when compared with individuals with low aging-risk endothelial function variant scores (Pinteraction = 0.0007; βHigh = 1.09, 95% CIHigh: 0.70, 1.48; βLow = 0.40, 95% CILow: 0.14, 0.67). Similar trends were observed in fully adjusted models of ammonium and total PM2.5 alone. No effect modification was observed by oxidative stress and metal processing variant scores. Secondary analyses revealed significant associations of serum endothelial markers, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (β = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.012) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (β = 0.002, 95% CI: 0.0005, 0.0026), with DNAm-age. Our results add novel evidence that endothelial physiology may be important to DNAm-age relationships, but further research is required to establish their generalizability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamaji C Nwanaji-Enwerem
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marie-Abele Bind
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Lingzhen Dai
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elena Colicino
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | - Qian Di
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Allan C Just
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Lifang Hou
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Pantel Vokonas
- Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and the Boston University School of Medicine, VA Normative Aging Study, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marc G Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | - Joel D Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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Cedeño Laurent JG, Williams A, Oulhote Y, Zanobetti A, Allen JG, Spengler JD. Reduced cognitive function during a heat wave among residents of non-air-conditioned buildings: An observational study of young adults in the summer of 2016. PLoS Med 2018; 15:e1002605. [PMID: 29990359 PMCID: PMC6039003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In many regions globally, buildings designed for harnessing heat during the cold exacerbate thermal exposures during heat waves (HWs) by maintaining elevated indoor temperatures even when high ambient temperatures have subdued. While previous experimental studies have documented the effects of ambient temperatures on cognitive function, few have observed HW effects on indoor temperatures following subjects' habitual conditions. The objective was to evaluate the differential impact of having air conditioning (AC) on cognitive function during a HW among residents of AC and non-AC buildings using a prospective observational cohort study. METHODS We followed 44 students (mean age = 20.2 years; SD = 1.8 years) from a university in the Greater Boston area, Massachusetts in the United States living in AC (n = 24) and non-AC (n = 20) buildings before, during, and after a HW. Two cognition tests were self-administered daily for a period of 12 days (July 9-July 20, 2016), the Stroop color-word test (STROOP) to assess selective attention/processing speed and a 2-digit, visual addition/subtraction test (ADD) to evaluate cognitive speed and working memory. The effect of the HW on cognitive function was evaluated using difference-in-differences (DiD) modelling. FINDINGS Mean indoor temperatures in the non-AC group (mean = 26.3°C; SD = 2.5°C; range = 19.6-30.4°C) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in the AC group (mean = 21.4°C; SD = 1.9°C; range = 17.5-25.0°C). DiD estimates show an increase in reaction time (STROOP = 13.4%, p < 0001; ADD = 13.3%, p < 0.001) and reduction in throughput (STROOP = -9.9%, p < 0.001; ADD = -6.3%, p = 0.08) during HWs among non-AC residents relative to AC residents at baseline. While ADD showed a linear relationship with indoor temperatures, STROOP was described by a U-shaped curve with linear effects below and above an optimum range (indoor temperature = 22°C-23°C), with an increase in reaction time of 16 ms/°C and 24 ms/°C for STROOP and ADD, respectively. Cognitive tests occurred right after waking, so the study is limited in that it cannot assess whether the observed effects extended during the rest of the day. Although the range of students' ages also represents a limitation of the study, the consistent findings in this young, healthy population might indicate that greater portions of the population are susceptible to the effects of extreme heat. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive function deficits resulting from indoor thermal conditions during HWs extend beyond vulnerable populations. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating sustainable adaptation measures in buildings to preserve educational attainment, economic productivity, and safety in light of a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent
- Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Augusta Williams
- Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Antonella Zanobetti
- Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joseph G. Allen
- Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - John D. Spengler
- Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Carvalho CFD, Oulhote Y, Martorelli M, Carvalho COD, Menezes-Filho JA, Argollo N, Abreu N. Environmental manganese exposure and associations with memory, executive functions, and hyperactivity in Brazilian children. Neurotoxicology 2018; 69:253-259. [PMID: 29432852 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Manganese (Mn) is an essential element, however high levels of Mn have been associated with lower neuropsychological performance and behavioral problems in children. We investigated the associations between hair Mn concentrations and neuropsychological and behavioral performances among children with long-term exposure to airborne Mn aged between 7 and 12 years. Neuropsychological performance included tests of: verbal memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency, and motor function. We used the Conners Abbreviated Rating Scale for teachers to assess students' behaviors of hyperactivity. Hair manganese (MnH) concentrations in children and exposure to airborne manganese from a ferro-manganese alloy plant were analyzed and correlated with tests scores. Multivariable linear models adjusting for potential confounders showed that elevated levels of MnH were associated with lower performance in verbal memory, as measured by the free recall after interference (β = - 1.8; 95% CI: - 3.4, - 0.2), which indicates susceptibility to interference, and Delayed Effect (β = -2.0; 95% CI: -3.7, - 0.2), representing a loss of information over time. Additionally, we found patterns of effect modification by sex in three subtests measuring verbal memory: the free recall after interference score, Interference Effect, and Delayed Effect (all at p < 0.10). Overall, the results suggest that long-term airborne Mn exposure may be associated with lower performance in verbal memory, and hyperactivity behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Harvard University - Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, USA
| | | | | | | | - Nayara Argollo
- Federal University of Bahia - College of Medicine, Brazil
| | - Neander Abreu
- Federal University of Bahia - Psychology Institute, Brazil
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Rousseau C, Hassan G, Oulhote Y. And if there were another way out? Questioning the prevalent radicalization models. Can J Public Health 2018; 108:e633-e635. [PMID: 29356675 DOI: 10.17269/cjph.108.6233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Violent radicalization is increasingly conceptualized as a public health issue, associated with psychological distress, a sharp increase in discrimination and profiling, and an increase in hate crime and some types of terrorist acts.This brief paper addresses the limitations of the current conceptual models of violent radicalization. Beyond understanding the path leading from radicalization of opinion to violent radicalization, it proposes to consider the non-violent outcomes of radicalization of opinions in the current social context and to study these outcomes in multiple settings for both minorities and majorities. Moving beyond the implicit linearity of current models and promoting a systemic vision would help to decrease the actual profiling of targeted communities and support the design of community-based prevention programs structured on these alternative outcomes, and in particular on the emergence of social solidarities in groups expressing discontent with the status quo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Rousseau
- Division of Social and Cultural Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC.
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Valvi D, Oulhote Y, Weihe P, Dalgård C, Bjerve KS, Steuerwald U, Grandjean P. Gestational diabetes and offspring birth size at elevated environmental pollutant exposures. Environ Int 2017; 107:205-215. [PMID: 28753482 PMCID: PMC5584560 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased availability of glucose and macronutrients in fetal circulation and macrosomia. Therefore, the role of GDM in the association between metabolism-disrupting chemicals and birth size deserves attention. OBJECTIVE We examined whether GDM may mediate or modify the associations between maternal environmental pollutant exposures and offspring birth size measures. METHODS We analyzed 604 Faroese pregnant women and their offsprings born in 1997-2000. Maternal pregnancy serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds (OCs: polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE)), and five perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and hair and cord blood mercury concentrations were measured. We used regression (single-pollutants) and structural equation models (SEMs) (multiple-pollutant analyses using latent constructs of OCs, PFASs and mercury) to estimate the associations with GDM and birth size measures, accounting for mediation and/or effect modification by GDM. RESULTS Serum-DDE and hair-mercury concentrations were associated with GDM (adjusted OR per concentration doubling: 1.29; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.77 for DDE, and 0.79; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.99 for mercury), but in multiple pollutant-adjusted SEMs only a positive association between OC exposure and GDM remained significant (change in GDM odds per OC doubling: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.86). PCB and overall OC exposure were positively associated with head circumference (SEM; mean change per OC doubling: 0.13cm; 95% CI, 0.01. 0.25). Overall PFAS exposure was inversely associated with birth weight (SEM; mean change per PFAS doubling: -169g; 95% CI: -359, 21), and for many single-PFASs we found a pattern of inverse associations with birth weight and head circumference in boys, and positive or null associations in girls. None of the environmental pollutants was associated with offspring length. GDM neither modified nor mediated the associations with birth size measures. CONCLUSIONS We found associations with GDM and offspring birth size to be specific to the environmental pollutant or pollutant group. Associations with birth size measures appear to be independent of GDM occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damaskini Valvi
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Pal Weihe
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Christine Dalgård
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kristian S Bjerve
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, St. Olays Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ulrike Steuerwald
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Braun JM, Muckle G, Arbuckle T, Bouchard MF, Fraser WD, Ouellet E, Séguin JR, Oulhote Y, Webster GM, Lanphear BP. Associations of Prenatal Urinary Bisphenol A Concentrations with Child Behaviors and Cognitive Abilities. Environ Health Perspect 2017; 125:067008. [PMID: 28657891 PMCID: PMC5743534 DOI: 10.1289/ehp984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure has been associated with adverse neurodevelopment in epidemiological studies. However, prior studies had limited statistical power to examine sex-specific effects, and few examined child cognition. OBJECTIVES We estimated the association between prenatal BPA exposure and child neurobehavior at 3 y of age in a prospective cohort of 812 mothers and their children. METHODS We measured BPA concentration in urine samples collected at ∼12 wk gestation among women enrolled in a 10-city Canadian cohort study. At approximately 3 y of age, we assessed children’s cognitive abilities with the Wechsler Primary and Preschool Scale of IntelligenceTM–III (WPPSI-III) and two scales of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Preschool (BRIEF-P). Parents reported children’s behavior using the Behavior Assessment System for Children–2 (BASC-2) and the Social Responsiveness ScaleTM–2 (SRS-2). We estimated covariate-adjusted differences in neurobehavioral outcomes with a doubling in BPA concentration and sex-specific associations. RESULTS BPA was not associated with WPPSI-III scores; child sex did not modify these associations. The association between BPA and BRIEF-P scores was modified by child sex (BPA×sex p-values≤0.03). For example, a doubling of BPA concentration was associated with 1-point (95% CI: 0.3, 1.7) poorer working memory in boys and 0.5-point (95% CI: −1.1, 0.1) better scores in girls. BPA was not associated with most BASC-2 scales; however, it was associated with more internalizing and somatizing behaviors in boys, but not in girls (BPA×sex p&-values≤0.08). A doubling of BPA concentration was associated with poorer SRS-2 scores [β=0.3 ( 95% CI: 0, 0.7)]; this association was not modified by sex. CONCLUSION Prenatal urinary BPA concentration was associated with some aspects of child behavior in this cohort, and some associations were stronger among boys. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP984.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Gina Muckle
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Ville de Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Tye Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maryse F. Bouchard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) Sainte-Justine Research Center, Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - William D. Fraser
- Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) Sainte-Justine Research Center, Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHUS (CHU de Sherbrooke), University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Ouellet
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Ville de Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean R. Séguin
- Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) Sainte-Justine Research Center, Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Ville de Québec, Québec, Canada
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Glenys M. Webster
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bruce P. Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Nwanaji-Enwerem JC, Dai L, Colicino E, Oulhote Y, Di Q, Kloog I, Just AC, Hou L, Vokonas P, Baccarelli AA, Weisskopf MG, Schwartz JD. Associations between long-term exposure to PM 2.5 component species and blood DNA methylation age in the elderly: The VA normative aging study. Environ Int 2017; 102:57-65. [PMID: 28284819 PMCID: PMC5396466 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/31/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term PM2.5 exposure and aging have been implicated in multiple shared diseases; studying their relationship is a promising strategy to further understand the adverse impact of PM2.5 on human health. OBJECTIVE We assessed the relationship of major PM2.5 component species (ammonium, elemental carbon, organic carbon, nitrate, and sulfate) with Horvath and Hannum DNA methylation (DNAm) age, two DNA methylation-based predictors of chronological age. METHODS This analysis included 552 participants from the Normative Aging Study with multiple visits between 2000 and 2011 (n=940 visits). We estimated 1-year PM2.5 species levels at participants' addresses using the GEOS-chem transport model. Blood DNAm-age was calculated using CpG sites on the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. We fit linear mixed-effects models, controlling for PM2.5 mass and lifestyle/environmental factors as fixed effects, with the adaptive LASSO penalty to identify PM2.5 species associated with DNAm-age. RESULTS Sulfate and ammonium were selected by the LASSO in the Horvath DNAm-age models. In a fully-adjusted multiple-species model, interquartile range increases in both 1-year sulfate (95%CI: 0.28, 0.74, P<0.0001) and ammonium (95%CI: 0.02, 0.70, P=0.04) levels were associated with at least a 0.36-year increase in Horvath DNAm-age. No PM2.5 species were selected by the LASSO in the Hannum DNAm-age models. Our findings persisted in sensitivity analyses including only visits with 1-year PM2.5 levels within US EPA national ambient air quality standards. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that sulfate and ammonium were most associated with Horvath DNAm-age and suggest that DNAm-age measures differ in their sensitivity to ambient particle exposures and potentially disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lingzhen Dai
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elena Colicino
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qian Di
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Allan C Just
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lifang Hou
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Pantel Vokonas
- VA Normative Aging Study, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, The Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marc G Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joel D Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Oulhote Y, Debes F, Vestergaard S, Weihe P, Grandjean P. Aerobic Fitness and Neurocognitive Function Scores in Young Faroese Adults and Potential Modification by Prenatal Methylmercury Exposure. Environ Health Perspect 2017; 125:677-683. [PMID: 27611346 PMCID: PMC5381980 DOI: 10.1289/ehp274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to methylmercury was shown to decrease neural stem cell populations, whereas aerobic fitness has beneficial effects on the adult brain that relies on improved neurogenesis in the hippocampus. OBJECTIVES We examined the association between aerobic fitness and neurocognitive outcomes at young adult age, along with the potential moderating effect of prenatal exposure to methylmercury. METHODS At age 22 years, 262 members of a Faroese birth cohort, established in 1986-1987, underwent a graded exercise test of aerobic fitness to measure maximal oxygen uptake (VO2Max). Their prenatal methylmercury exposure had been assessed from the mercury concentration in cord blood. We estimated cross-sectional associations between VO2Max and multiple measures of neurocognitive function. In addition, we compared groups with low and high prenatal methylmercury exposure. RESULTS A 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in VO2Max was associated with better scores on short-term memory and cognitive processing speed by 0.21 SD (95% CI: -0.04, 0.46) and 0.28 SD (95% CI: 0.02, 0.54), respectively. In the group with lower prenatal methylmercury exposure, a 1 SD increase in VO2Max was associated with increased scores on cognitive processing speed by 0.45 SD (95% CI: 0.08, 0.81) and with a slightly lesser benefit in short-term memory. No such association was observed in the group with high prenatal methylmercury exposure. CONCLUSIONS Higher aerobic capacity was associated with better performance in short-term memory and processing speed. However, prenatal methylmercury exposure seemed to attenuate these positive associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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48
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Rousseau C, Oulhote Y, Ruiz-Casares M, Cleveland J, Greenaway C. Encouraging understanding or increasing prejudices: A cross-sectional survey of institutional influence on health personnel attitudes about refugee claimants' access to health care. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170910. [PMID: 28196129 PMCID: PMC5308802 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This paper investigates the personal, professional and institutional predictors of health institution personnel's attitudes regarding access to healthcare for refugee claimants in Canada. Methods In Montreal, the staff of five hospitals and two primary care centres (n = 1772) completed an online questionnaire documenting demographics, occupation, exposure to refugee claimant patients, and attitudes regarding healthcare access for refugee claimants. We used structural equations modeling to investigate the associations between professional and institutional factors with latent functions of positive and negative attitudes toward refugee's access to healthcare. Results Younger participants, social workers, participants from primary care centres, and from 1st migrant generation had the lowest scores of negative attitudes. Respondents who experienced contact with refugees had lower scores of negative attitudes (B = -14% standard deviation [SD]; 95% CI: -24, -4%). However, direct contact with refugees increased scores of negative attitudes in the institution with the most negative attitudes by 36% SD (95% CI: 1, 71%). Interpretation Findings suggest that institutions influence individuals’ attitudes about refugee claimants’ access to health care and that, in an institutional context of negative attitudes, contact with refugees may further confirm negative perceptions about this vulnerable group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Rousseau
- Department of Social and Cultural Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mónica Ruiz-Casares
- Department of Social and Cultural Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Janet Cleveland
- Research Centre of the University Institute with Regard to Cultural Communities, CIUSSS Centre-Ouest de l’Ile de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christina Greenaway
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Oulhote Y, Steuerwald U, Debes F, Weihe P, Grandjean P. Behavioral difficulties in 7-year old children in relation to developmental exposure to perfluorinated alkyl substances. Environ Int 2016; 97:237-245. [PMID: 27692925 PMCID: PMC5154805 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are suspected endocrine disruptors that are highly persistent and neurotoxic in animals. Human epidemiological studies of exposure-related deviations of children's behaviors are sparse. We assessed the associations between prenatal, 5- and 7-year PFAS exposures and behavioral problem scores in 7-year Faroese children. METHODS Concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) were measured in maternal serum and in serum from children at ages 5 and 7years (n=539, 508, and 491, respectively). We used multivariable regressions and structural equations models to estimate the covariate-adjusted associations between serum-PFAS concentrations and behavioral difficulties, as assessed by the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) at age 7. RESULTS Serum-PFOS and PFHxS concentrations declined over time, whereas PFOA, PFNA, and PFDA tended to increase. No associations were observed between prenatal PFAS concentrations and SDQ scores. However, a two-fold increase in 5-year serum-PFOA, PFNA, and PFDA concentrations was associated with increases in total SDQ scores by 1.03 (95% CI: 0.11, 1.95), 0.72 (95% CI: 0.07, 1.38) and 0.78 points (95% CI: 0.01, 1.55), respectively. For SDQ subscales, significant associations were found in regard to hyperactivity, peer relationship, and conduct problems, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems and autism screening composite scores. Cross-sectional analyses at age 7years showed possible sex-dimorphic associations between PFAS concentrations and SDQ scores, where girls had consistently positive associations with SDQ scores whereas boys exhibited a pattern of negative or null associations. CONCLUSIONS Higher serum PFAS concentrations at ages 5- and 7-years, but not prenatally, were associated with parent-reported behavioral problems at age 7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ulrike Steuerwald
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Frodi Debes
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Pal Weihe
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
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50
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Oulhote Y, Shamim Z, Kielsen K, Weihe P, Grandjean P, Ryder LP, Heilmann C. Children's white blood cell counts in relation to developmental exposures to methylmercury and persistent organic pollutants. Reprod Toxicol 2016; 68:207-214. [PMID: 27497749 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To explore possible markers of developmental immunotoxicity, we prospectively examined 56 children to determine associations between exposures to methylmercury and persistent organic pollutants since birth and the comprehensive differential counts of white blood cells (WBC) at age 5 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS Extended differential count included: neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes (includingT cells, NK cells, and B cells), and monocytes. Organochlorine compounds (OCs) including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides, five perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and total mercury (Hg) were measured in maternal (n=56) and children's blood at 18 months (n=42) and 5 years (n=54). We constructed latent functions for exposures at three different ages using factor analyses and applied structural equation models adjusted for covariates. RESULTS Prenatal mercury exposure was associated with depleted total WBC, especially for lymphocytes, where a one standard deviation (SD) increase in the exposure was associated with a decrease by 23% SD (95% CI: -43, -4) in the cell count. Prenatal exposure to OCs was marginally associated with decreases in neutrophil counts. In contrast, the 5-year PFASs concentrations were associated with higher basophil counts (B=46% SD, 95% CI: 13, 79). Significantly reduced subpopulations of lymphocytes such as B cells, CD4-positive T helper cells and CD4 positive recent thymic emigrants may suggest cellular immunity effects and dysregulation of T-cell mediated immunity. CONCLUSION Developmental exposure to environmental immunotoxicants appears to have different impacts on WBC counts in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Z Shamim
- Institute for Inflammation Research, Department of Rheumatology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K Kielsen
- Institute for Inflammation Research, Department of Rheumatology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - P Weihe
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - P Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - L P Ryder
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - C Heilmann
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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