Megan K Horton1, Leon Hsu1, Birgit Claus Henn2, Amy Margolis3, Christine Austin1, Katherine Svensson1, Lourdes Schnaas4, Chris Gennings1, Howard Hu5, Robert Wright1, Martha María Téllez Rojo6, Manish Arora1. 1. Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, United States of America. 2. Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, United States of America. 3. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, 1051 Riverside Drive New York, New York 10032, United States of America. 4. Division of Research in Community Interventions, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Montes Urales 800, Lomas Virreyes, Mexico City CP 11000, Mexico. 5. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, 6(th) floor, Toronto M5T 3M7, Canada. 6. Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health (Mexico), Universidad 655, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico. Electronic address: mmtellez@insp.mx.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Metal exposure alters neurodevelopmental outcomes; little is known about critical windows of susceptibility when exposure exerts the strongest effect. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between dentine biomarkers of manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) and later childhood behaviors. METHODS: Subjects enrolled in a longitudinal birth cohort study in Mexico City provided naturally shed deciduous teeth. We estimated weekly prenatal and postnatal dentine Mn, Zn and Pb concentrations in teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and measured behavior at ages 8-11 years of age using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2). We used distributed lag models and lagged weighted quantile sum regression to identify the role of individual and combined dentine biomarkers of Mn, Zn and Pb on behavioral outcomes controlling for maternal education and gestational age. RESULTS: Among the 133 subjects included in this study, prenatal and early postnatal dentine Mn appeared protective against childhood behavioral problems, specifically hyperactivity and attention. Postnatal dentine Mn was associated with increased reporting of internalizing problems, specifically anxiety. At 6 months, a 1-unit increase (unit = 1 SD of log concentration) in Mn was associated with a 0.18-unit (unit = 1 SD of BASC-2 score) increase in internalizing symptoms score and a 0.25-unit increase in anxiety. Postnatal Pb was associated with increasing anxiety symptoms; at 12 months, a 1-unit increase in Pb was associated with a 0.4 unit increase in anxiety symptoms. When examined as a metal mixture, we observed two potential windows of susceptibility to increased anxiety symptoms: the first window (0-8 months) appeared driven by Mn, the second window (8-12 months) was driven by the metal mixture and dominated by Pb. A 1-unit increase in the mixture index was associated with a 0.7-unit increase in SD of anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood behaviors may demonstrate postnatal windows of susceptibility to individual and mixed metal concentrations measured in deciduous teeth. Prenatal dentine Mn may be protective, while excessive early postnatal Mn may increase risk for adverse behaviors. In combination, higher concentrations of Mn, Zn and Pb may have an adverse impact on behavior.
BACKGROUND: Metal exposure alters neurodevelopmental outcomes; little is known about critical windows of susceptibility when exposure exerts the strongest effect. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between dentine biomarkers of manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) and later childhood behaviors. METHODS: Subjects enrolled in a longitudinal birth cohort study in Mexico City provided naturally shed deciduous teeth. We estimated weekly prenatal and postnatal dentine Mn, Zn and Pb concentrations in teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and measured behavior at ages 8-11 years of age using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2). We used distributed lag models and lagged weighted quantile sum regression to identify the role of individual and combined dentine biomarkers of Mn, Zn and Pb on behavioral outcomes controlling for maternal education and gestational age. RESULTS: Among the 133 subjects included in this study, prenatal and early postnatal dentine Mn appeared protective against childhood behavioral problems, specifically hyperactivity and attention. Postnatal dentine Mn was associated with increased reporting of internalizing problems, specifically anxiety. At 6 months, a 1-unit increase (unit = 1 SD of log concentration) in Mn was associated with a 0.18-unit (unit = 1 SD of BASC-2 score) increase in internalizing symptoms score and a 0.25-unit increase in anxiety. Postnatal Pb was associated with increasing anxiety symptoms; at 12 months, a 1-unit increase in Pb was associated with a 0.4 unit increase in anxiety symptoms. When examined as a metal mixture, we observed two potential windows of susceptibility to increased anxiety symptoms: the first window (0-8 months) appeared driven by Mn, the second window (8-12 months) was driven by the metal mixture and dominated by Pb. A 1-unit increase in the mixture index was associated with a 0.7-unit increase in SD of anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood behaviors may demonstrate postnatal windows of susceptibility to individual and mixed metal concentrations measured in deciduous teeth. Prenatal dentine Mn may be protective, while excessive early postnatal Mn may increase risk for adverse behaviors. In combination, higher concentrations of Mn, Zn and Pb may have an adverse impact on behavior.
Authors: C Santos-Burgoa; C Rios; L A Mercado; R Arechiga-Serrano; F Cano-Valle; R A Eden-Wynter; J L Texcalac-Sangrador; J P Villa-Barragan; Y Rodriguez-Agudelo; S Montes Journal: Environ Res Date: 2001-02 Impact factor: 6.498
Authors: Lisa B Rokoff; Jessica R Shoaff; Brent A Coull; Michelle Bosquet Enlow; David C Bellinger; Susan A Korrick Journal: Environ Res Date: 2022-01-10 Impact factor: 6.498
Authors: Claudio Cavazzuti; Tamás Hajdu; Federico Lugli; Alessandra Sperduti; Magdolna Vicze; Aniko Horváth; István Major; Mihály Molnár; László Palcsu; Viktória Kiss Journal: PLoS One Date: 2021-07-28 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Stephani S Kim; John D Meeker; Rachel Carroll; Shanshan Zhao; Michael J Mourgas; Michael J Richards; Max Aung; David E Cantonwine; Thomas F McElrath; Kelly K Ferguson Journal: Environ Int Date: 2018-10-06 Impact factor: 9.621
Authors: Kathryn A Davis; Rebecca V Mountain; Olivia R Pickett; Pamela K Den Besten; Felicitas B Bidlack; Erin C Dunn Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2019-12-17 Impact factor: 13.382