Journal Article
Persistent organic pollutants and the association with maternal and infant thyroid homeostasis: a multipollutant assessment
Berg, V; Nøst, TH; Pettersen, RD; Hansen, S; Veyhe, AS; Jorde, R; Odland, JØ; Sandanger, TM
Environmental Health Perspectives
ISSN: 0091-6765
EISSN: 1552-9924
US DEPT HEALTH HUMAN SCIENCES PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE
BACKGROUND: Disruption of thyroid homeostasis has been indicated in human studies targeting effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Influence on the maternal thyroid system by POPs is of special interest during pregnancy, as such effects could impair infant thyroid homeostasis.
OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association between POPs and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid hormones (THs) in mother and child pairs from the Northern Norway Mother-and-Child Contaminant Cohort Study (MISA).
METHODS: Nineteen POPs and ten thyroid parameters were analysed in serum from 391 pregnant women in their second trimester. In addition, TSH concentrations in heel prick samples from the infants were analysed by the Norwegian Newborn Screening program. Association studies with a multipollutant approach were performed using multivariate analyses; partial least squares (PLS) regression, hierarchical clustering and principle component analysis (PCA).
RESULTS: Several POPs were significantly associated to TSH and THs: i) PFOS was positively associated with TSH; ii) PCBs, HCB and nonachlors were inversely associated to T3, T4 and FT4; and, iii) PFDA and PFUnDA were inversely associated to T3 and FT3. After mutual adjustments for the other contaminants, only PFDA and PFUnDA remained significantly associated to T3 and FT3, respectively. Infants born by mothers within the highest TSH quartile had 10% higher mean concentrations of TSH compared to children born by mothers in the lowest TSH quartile.
CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that background exposures to POPs can alter maternal thyroid homeostasis. This research contributes to the understanding of multipollutant exposures using multivariate statistical approaches and highlights the complexity of investigating environmental concentrations and mixtures in regards to maternal and infant thyroid function.
Public Health And Safety; Womens health; Hormones; Pregnancy; Thyroid-stimulating hormone; Thyroid gland; Pollutants; Biochemistry; Infants; Accreditation; Homeostasis; Contaminants; Persistent organic pollutants; Drinking water; Children; Metabolism; Thyroid; Statistical analysis; Thyroxine; Thyroid hormones; Cluster analysis; Principal components analysis; Studies; Clustering; Exposure; Disruption; Statistical methods; Chemicals; Regression analysis; Triiodothyronine
