Prenatal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Sex Hormone Levels in Cord Blood

Abstract

Prenatal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Sex Hormone Levels in Cord BloodAbstract Number:1921 Charline Warembourg*, Anne Debost-Legrand, Catherine Massart, Ronan Garlantézec, Christine Monfort, Eric Gaudreau, Cécile Chevrier, and Sylvaine Cordier Charline Warembourg* National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM IRSET U1085) University of Rennes 1, France, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Anne Debost-Legrand Genetic medical unit, university hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, France, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Catherine Massart Laboratoire Hormonologie, Centre d Investigation Clinique, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM U0203), France, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Ronan Garlantézec National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM IRSET U1085) School of Public Health (EHESP), France, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Christine Monfort National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM IRSET U1085) University of Rennes 1, France, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Eric Gaudreau Centre de Toxicologie du Québec of the National Institute of Public Health, Canada, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Cécile Chevrier National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM IRSET U1085) University of Rennes 1, France, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , and Sylvaine Cordier National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM IRSET U1085) University of Rennes 1, France, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author AbstractBackground: Persistent organic pollutants (POP) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides are known to cause endocrine disruption but few studies have examined the effects of such prenatal exposures on sex hormone levels in cord blood. Aim: To explore associations between prenatal exposure to POP and sex hormones in cord blood.Methods: Sex hormones levels were measured in 283 cord blood samples from the PELAGIE mother-child cohort (Brittany, France): sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol (E2), total testosterone (TT), free androgen index (FAI=TT/SHBG), testosterone:estradiol ratio (TT/E) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH; male newborns only). Pesticide concentrations of alpha endosulfan, beta hexachlorocyclohexane (ßHCH), pp’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (pp’DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), heptachlor epoxide (HCE) as well as PCBs (congeners 153, 187 and sum of anti-estrogenic PCB 118, 138, 170) and decabrominated diphenyl ether 209 (PBDE209) were also measured in cord blood. Associations between sex hormones and POP exposures treated in categories were explored by multiple linear regressions. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05.Results: High pesticide levels were associated with an increase of SHBG, and E2, and a decrease of TT/E and FAI, for several compounds especially alpha endosulfan, HCE and HCB. High PCB levels were associated with an increase of SHBG and AMH, and a decrease of TT/E and FAI. Several of these associations were stronger, or specific, for male or female newborns. No association was found for PBDE209 or with TT.Conclusion: Prenatal exposure to a number of persistent pollutants is associated with disruption of hormone levels at birth. The clinical significance of these findings on a longer term remains to be established.