Relationship of Thyroid Hormone Levels to Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Lead, p,p ′ - DDE, and Other Toxicants in Akwesasne Mohawk Youth

Abstract

BackgroundIt is well documented that acute exposure to high levels of persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p′-dichlorophenyldichloroethylene (p,p′-DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), can affect human health including thyroid function. Chronic exposure to multiple toxicants is common but difficult to analyze, and most prior studies have focused on adults or newborns, creating a gap in our understanding of multitoxicant effects among adolescents.ObjectiveWe investigated whether levels of PCBs, p,p′-DDE, HCB, mirex, lead, and mercury reflecting past chronic exposure are associated with alterations in levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), total thyroxine (TT4), and free thyroxine (FT4) among older children and adolescents.MethodsThe sample consists of youth from the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation (n = 232) who reside in proximity to several industries that have contaminated the local environment. We used multiple regression analysis to examine the effect of PCB groupings, p,p′-DDE, HCB, lead, and mercury on thyroid hormones after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and controlling for all other toxicants.ResultsExposure to PCBs affects the thyroid hormone profile in adolescents. The group of persistent PCBs was positively associated with TSH but inversely related to FT4. Nonpersistent PCBs were significantly and negatively related to FT4 only. HCB was negatively associated with T4, and lead was positively associated with T3. Breast-fed adolescents had higher levels of persistent PCBs and p,p′-DDE but not of nonpersistent PCBs or any other toxicant when compared with non-breast-fed adolescents. Though having lower levels of persistent PCBs and p,p′-DDE, non-breast-fed adolescents exhibited significant relationships between persistent PCBs and TSH and FT4, but breast-fed adolescents did not. It appears that PCBs from breast milk obscure the relationship between prenatal PCB exposure and thyroid function by adding random variation in PCB levels.ConclusionOur results demonstrate a reduction in thyroid function in adolescents in relation to their current serum levels of PCBs. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that pre-natal exposure to PCBs alters thyroid function in a long-lasting manner but does not exclude the possibility that postnatal exposure is influential also.

Assessment of the Binding of Hydroxylated Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers to Thyroid Hormone Transport Proteins Using a Site-Specific Fluorescence Probe

“…Furthermore, the OH− PBDEs may act together with other TTR-binding environmental chemicals and hamper TH homeostasis at different physiological levels and via multiple related mechanisms. 35 Admittedly, these estimations are based on our in vitro experimental data and therefore cannot be directly extrapolated to in vivo conditions. …”

Endocrine disruptors and thyroid hormone physiology

“…Table II summarizes various cohort studies in which PCB exposure was correlated to a disruption of 7 circulating levels of THs in humans. In several studies, environmental PCB levels were shown to be associated with reduced TH levels [17][18]20].…”

Prenatal exposure to DDT in malaria endemic region following indoor residual spraying and in non-malaria coastal regions of South Africa

“…There is evidence that exposure to DDT in utero may also affect thyroid hormone levels (AlvarezPedrerol et al, 2008;Nagayama et al, 2007;Schell et al, 2008). Inconsistent evidence is emerging that high blood concentration of DDTs may affect height, body mass index and other measures of growth in children (Eskenazi et al, 2009).…”