Michelle Vivienne Marlou Ruel1, Arend Frederik Bos1, Shalini Devi Soechitram1, Lisethe Meijer1, Pieter Jan Jacob Sauer1, Sietske Annette Berghuis2. 1. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. 2. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: s.a.berghuis@umcg.nl.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Organohalogen compounds (OHCs), i.e. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, are wide-spread environmental pollutants known to be neurotoxic for the developing brain. The hydroxylated metabolites of PCBs, OH-PCBs, might be even more toxic due to their structure and interference with thyroid hormone metabolism. We found that prenatal exposure to OH-PCBs was associated with thyroid hormone metabolism at toddler age. Little, however, is known about the neurotoxicity of OH-PCBs in humans. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether prenatal background exposure to OHCs has an effect on mental and motor development in children at the age of 18 and 30 months. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-one healthy mother-infant pairs were included in this observational study performed in the Netherlands. We measured maternal pregnancy levels of PCB-153 and three OH-PCBs. In one part of the cohort we measured another nine PCBs and three OH-PCBs and in the other part we measured five brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), dichloro-diphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), pentachlorophenol (PCP), and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD). We used the mental development index (MDI) and the motor development index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II) to assess children's mental and motor development (mean = 100; delayed score <85). RESULTS: Higher prenatal PCB-153 levels were associated with a delayed MDI score at 18 months. None of the other compounds were associated with a delayed score, but several associations were found between OHC levels and BSID-II scores. The sum of all six OH-PCBs and three individual OH-PCBs, 4-OH-PCB-107, 3-OH-PCB-153, and 4'-OH-PCB-172, correlated positively with MDI at 30 months. The compound 3'-OH-PCB-138 showed a similar trend. A higher 4-OH-PCB-187 was associated with a lower MDI at 18 months. We found a similar trend for higher BDE-99. Higher BDE levels were associated with higher PDI at 18 months. The levels of p,p'-DDE-, PCP, and HBCDD were not associated with BSID-II scores at 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Higher prenatal levels of PCB-153 were associated with a delayed MDI score at 18 months. None of the other compounds were associated with a delayed score, but several associations were found between OHC levels and BSID-II scores. Prenatal OH-PCBs were positively associated with mental development at 30 months, whereas one OH-PCB was negatively associated at 18 months. BDE levels were positively associated with psychomotor development. Prenatal p,p'-DDE, PCP, and HBCDD levels were not associated with neurodevelopment at 18 months.
BACKGROUND: Organohalogen compounds (OHCs), i.e. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, are wide-spread environmental pollutants known to be neurotoxic for the developing brain. The hydroxylated metabolites of PCBs, OH-PCBs, might be even more toxic due to their structure and interference with thyroid hormone metabolism. We found that prenatal exposure to OH-PCBs was associated with thyroid hormone metabolism at toddler age. Little, however, is known about the neurotoxicity of OH-PCBs in humans. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether prenatal background exposure to OHCs has an effect on mental and motor development in children at the age of 18 and 30 months. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-one healthy mother-infant pairs were included in this observational study performed in the Netherlands. We measured maternal pregnancy levels of PCB-153 and three OH-PCBs. In one part of the cohort we measured another nine PCBs and three OH-PCBs and in the other part we measured five brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), dichloro-diphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), pentachlorophenol (PCP), and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD). We used the mental development index (MDI) and the motor development index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II) to assess children's mental and motor development (mean = 100; delayed score <85). RESULTS: Higher prenatal PCB-153 levels were associated with a delayed MDI score at 18 months. None of the other compounds were associated with a delayed score, but several associations were found between OHC levels and BSID-II scores. The sum of all six OH-PCBs and three individual OH-PCBs, 4-OH-PCB-107, 3-OH-PCB-153, and 4'-OH-PCB-172, correlated positively with MDI at 30 months. The compound 3'-OH-PCB-138 showed a similar trend. A higher 4-OH-PCB-187 was associated with a lower MDI at 18 months. We found a similar trend for higher BDE-99. Higher BDE levels were associated with higher PDI at 18 months. The levels of p,p'-DDE-, PCP, and HBCDD were not associated with BSID-II scores at 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Higher prenatal levels of PCB-153 were associated with a delayed MDI score at 18 months. None of the other compounds were associated with a delayed score, but several associations were found between OHC levels and BSID-II scores. Prenatal OH-PCBs were positively associated with mental development at 30 months, whereas one OH-PCB was negatively associated at 18 months. BDE levels were positively associated with psychomotor development. Prenatal p,p'-DDE, PCP, and HBCDD levels were not associated with neurodevelopment at 18 months.
Authors: Ann M Vuong; Changchun Xie; Roman Jandarov; Kim N Dietrich; Hongmei Zhang; Andreas Sjödin; Antonia M Calafat; Bruce P Lanphear; Lawrence McCandless; Joseph M Braun; Kimberly Yolton; Aimin Chen Journal: Int J Hyg Environ Health Date: 2020-06-07 Impact factor: 5.840