Salivary cortisol and cortisone levels, and breast milk dioxin concentrations in Vietnamese primiparas

Abstract

There is a great deal of concern regarding the adverse effects of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) present in Agent Orange and other herbicides on Vietnam's population and ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dioxin exposure on adrenal steroids in saliva, and dioxin levels in breast milk, of primiparas in an Agent Orange/dioxin hot-spot and a non-exposed area in Vietnam on the basis of epidemiological research. The subjects were 35 lactating women who had recently given birth to their first or second child. A further sub-study involved eight primiparas from each area. All subjects were aged between 20 and 30 years with infants aged between 4 and 16 weeks. The mean concentration of PCDD, PCDF, and PCDD + PCDF toxic equivalents (TEQ) in breast milk in the hot-spot area was significantly higher than in the non-exposed area. Cortisol and cortisone levels in the saliva of primiparas in the hot-spot area were also significantly higher than those in the non-exposed area. There was a significant negative correlation between cortisol and the cortisol/cortisone ratio and PCDD + PCDF and PCDF TEQ levels in the hot-spot area. Furthermore, the correlation between cortisol and cortisone and the PCDD + PCDF, PCDD, and PCDF TEQ in the combination of hot spot + non-exposed area was significant according to the curve (bell style). Our results suggest that Agent Orange/dioxin exposure still exerts a major influence on the salivary hormones of the Vietnamese population.