Environmental contaminants and preeclampsia: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a medical condition specific to pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the woman’s urine, indicating kidney damage. It is one of the most serious reproductive conditions, posing substantial risks to the baby and potentially fatal for the mother. The causes of preeclampsia are largely unknown and environmental contaminants merit further investigation. The aim of this review was to determine the association between environmental chemical exposures and preeclampsia.PubMed was searched for articles examining a priori chemical exposures and preeclampsia through April 2018. Studies were included in our review if they included at least 10 cases, evaluated preeclampsia independent of gestational hypertension, and used either measured or modeled exposure assessments.Our review contained 28 investigations examining persistent organic pollutants (POP) (6 studies), drinking water contaminants (1 study), atmospheric pollutants (11 studies), metals and metalloids (6 studies), and other environmental contaminants (4 studies). There were an insufficient number of investigations on most chemicals to draw definitive conclusions, but strong evidence existed for an association between preeclampsia and cadmium (Cd). There is suggestive evidence for associations between nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM)2.5, and traffic exposure with preeclampsia.There is evidence for an association between preeclampsia and Cd but insufficient literature to evaluate many other environmental chemicals. Additional studies using repeated measures, appropriate biological matrices, and mixtures methods are needed to expand this area of research and address the limitations of previous studies.

“Something Was Attacking Them and Their Reproductive Organs”: Environmental Reproductive Justice in an Indigenous Tribe in the United States Gulf Coast

“…Tribal members may also be especially adept at identifying changes in the land because of their close relationship with and time spent in the environment. Increased pollution or other environmental issues can cause individual reproductive issues such as infertility, pre-term birth or eclampsia [ 72 ]. In the context of the environmental justice issues described by women, these findings suggest that there may indeed be a connection between these health issues and the changes to the environment.…”

Identification and characterization of methylation-mediated transcriptional dysregulation dictate methylation roles in preeclampsia

“…PE originates in the placenta, and the main clinical symptoms are hypertension and proteinuria in pregnant women [2]. Approximately 10~15% maternal deaths are related with PE and eclampsia [3]. Women still take an increased risk of cardiovascular events in later life, even after pregnancy subsides in PE [4,5].…”

Environmental cadmium exposure: a possible factor in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia

“…Cadmium is a ubiquitous, toxic metal and multi-organ poison which has been implicated in the derangement of a number of biological and molecular systems such as membrane lipids, enzymes in endothelial cells and placental tissues. [4][5][6] As such, established features of preeclampsia such as maternal vascular endothelial dysfunction and impaired placental function, which are surrounded by molecular events, may be secondary to Cd pollution, exposure and toxicity.…”

“…However, risk factors such as nulliparity, maternal age, subclinical infections, genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental contaminants have been linked to its development. 3,4 Several reports have provided evidence of remote association between PE and Cadmium (Cd), a wellknown environmental contaminant and multi-organ poison, which has been implicated in the derangement of a number of biological and molecular systems. 5,6 However, there still exists paucity of information on the mechanism of the involvement of Cd in PE.…”