TY - JOUR
T1 - Association between several persistent organic pollutants and thyroid hormone levels in serum among the pregnant women of Korea
AU - Kim, Sunmi
AU - Park, Jeongim
AU - Kim, Hai Joong
AU - Lee, Jeong Jae
AU - Choi, Gyuyeon
AU - Choi, Sooran
AU - Kim, Sungjoo
AU - Kim, Su Young
AU - Moon, Hyo Bang
AU - Kim, Sungkyoon
AU - Choi, Kyungho
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a grant ( 11162KFDA722 ) from the Korea Food and Drug Administration in 2011.
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - Persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are of global concern because of their widespread contamination and adverse health effects. Potential endocrine disruption, especially of thyroid status by PCBs has been repeatedly suggested in both experimental and epidemiological studies. However the associations with PBDEs or OCPs have been arguable especially in human populations. We investigated the associations between major groups of POPs and thyroid hormone balances among pregnant women. One hundred five pregnant women at delivery were recruited from four cities of Korea in 2011 and were investigated. Blood samples were collected within a day before delivery. Serum was then analyzed for 19 PCBs, 19 PBDEs, and 19 OCPs, along with five thyroid hormones (free and total T3 and T4, and TSH). Several PCBs such as PCB28, 52, and 118 showed negative associations with T3 or T4. BDE47 and total PBDEs showed significant associations with T3 or T4. For OCPs, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were generally associated with reduction of T3 or T4. The thyroid hormone levels of all subjects were within the reference range, however exposure to several target POPs were clearly related with potential for disrupting thyroid hormone balance among pregnant women, at the current level of exposure. Although subtle, the changes in thyroid hormones should be seen with caution because even minor changes within pregnant women may have significant consequences especially on sensitive population like fetus.
AB - Persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are of global concern because of their widespread contamination and adverse health effects. Potential endocrine disruption, especially of thyroid status by PCBs has been repeatedly suggested in both experimental and epidemiological studies. However the associations with PBDEs or OCPs have been arguable especially in human populations. We investigated the associations between major groups of POPs and thyroid hormone balances among pregnant women. One hundred five pregnant women at delivery were recruited from four cities of Korea in 2011 and were investigated. Blood samples were collected within a day before delivery. Serum was then analyzed for 19 PCBs, 19 PBDEs, and 19 OCPs, along with five thyroid hormones (free and total T3 and T4, and TSH). Several PCBs such as PCB28, 52, and 118 showed negative associations with T3 or T4. BDE47 and total PBDEs showed significant associations with T3 or T4. For OCPs, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were generally associated with reduction of T3 or T4. The thyroid hormone levels of all subjects were within the reference range, however exposure to several target POPs were clearly related with potential for disrupting thyroid hormone balance among pregnant women, at the current level of exposure. Although subtle, the changes in thyroid hormones should be seen with caution because even minor changes within pregnant women may have significant consequences especially on sensitive population like fetus.
KW - Organochlorine pesticides
KW - Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
KW - Polychlorinated biphenyls
KW - Pregnant women
KW - Thyroid hormones
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84881339515&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envint.2013.07.009
DO - 10.1016/j.envint.2013.07.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 23928038
AN - SCOPUS:84881339515
SN - 0160-4120
VL - 59
SP - 442
EP - 448
JO - Environmental International
JF - Environmental International
ER -