In Utero Exposure To Pbdes, Ddt And Pcbs And Hormones In Boys From The Chamacos Study

Abstract

Background: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are organohalogen compounds that are lipophilic and bioaccumulate in humans. These compounds are all known endocrine disruptors. Serum PBDE concentrations in California children are among the highest worldwide. In this study, we examined whether prenatal exposure to the components of penta-BDE mixture, DDT, and PCBs are associated with luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormones related to pubertal onset, in Latino boys participating in a longitudinal birth cohort study in the Salinas Valley, California. Methods: Prenatal PBDE, DDT, and PCB concentrations were measured in maternal blood samples collected during pregnancy (N=83), or back-extrapolated from mothers' and/or children's blood levels at 9 years (N=149) using a SuperLearner algorithm if pregnancy samples were not available. Concentrations of FSH, LH, and T were measured in first-morning blood samples collected from 229 boys at age 12. All hormones and exposures were log10-transformed for statistical analysis; exposures were lipid-adjusted as well. Linear regression models were adjusted for the child's age, BMI, cohort, gestational age at birth, smoking, and alcohol use. Results: The geometric mean and SD of the boys' hormone levels was 2.47 mIU/mL (1.68) for FSH, 1.85mIU/mL (2.95) for LH, and 68.96 ng/dL (4.19) for testosterone. A 10-fold increase in BDE-153 was associated with a 25.8% increase in FSH (CI= 2.3%, 54.7%), an 86.5% increase in LH (CI=23.9%, 180.7%), and an 80.9% increase in testosterone (CI=4.4%, 213.5%). BDE-100 was also positively associated with LH (β=75.5% increase, CI=17.4%, 162.3%). A 10-fold increase in total PCBs was associated with a 72.7% increase in FSH (CI=11.0%, 168.7%). Conclusion: In utero exposure to certain PBDEs and PCBs are related to sex hormones in boys, suggestive of earlier onset of puberty.