Maternal blood metal levels and fetal markers of metabolic function

Journal Article · Thu Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2015 · Environmental Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVRES.2014.10.024· OSTI ID:22447560

Ashley-Martin, Jillian ^[1]; Dodds, Linda ^[1]; Arbuckle, Tye E. ^[2]; Ettinger, Adrienne S. ^[3]; Shapiro, Gabriel D. ^[4]; Fisher, Mandy ^[2]; Taback, Shayne ^[5]; Bouchard, Maryse F. ^[4]; Monnier, Patricia ^[6]; Dallaire, Renee ^[7]; Fraser, William D. ^[4]

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1. Perinatal Epidemiology Research Unit, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)
2. Health Canada, Ottawa (Canada)
3. Yale University, New Haven, CT (United States)
4. University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
5. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada)
6. McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
7. Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec (Canada)

Exposure to metals commonly found in the environment has been hypothesized to be associated with measures of fetal growth but the epidemiological literature is limited. The Maternal–Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study recruited 2001 women during the first trimester of pregnancy from 10 Canadian sites. Our objective was to assess the association between prenatal exposure to metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) and fetal metabolic function. Average maternal metal concentrations in 1st and 3rd trimester blood samples were used to represent prenatal metals exposure. Leptin and adiponectin were measured in 1363 cord blood samples and served as markers of fetal metabolic function. Polytomous logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between metals and both high (≥90%) and low (≤10%) fetal adiponectin and leptin levels. Leptin levels were significantly higher in female infants compared to males. A significant relationship between maternal blood cadmium and odds of high leptin was observed among males but not females in adjusted models. When adjusting for birth weight z-score, lead was associated with an increased odd of high leptin. No other significant associations were found at the top or bottom 10th percentile in either leptin or adiponectin models. This study supports the proposition that maternal levels of cadmium influence cord blood adipokine levels in a sex-dependent manner. Further investigation is required to confirm these findings and to determine how such findings at birth will translate into childhood anthropometric measures. - Highlights: • We determined relationships between maternal metal levels and cord blood adipokines. • Cord blood leptin levels were higher among female than male infants. • Maternal cadmium was associated with elevated leptin in male, not female infants. • No significant associations were observed between metals and cord blood adiponectin. • Further work will elucidate the implications of these findings on childhood obesity.

• OSTI ID: 22447560
• Journal Information: Environmental Research, Journal Name: Environmental Research Vol. 136; ISSN ENVRAL; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ABUNDANCE
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
ARSENIC
BLOOD
CADMIUM
CONCENTRATION RATIO
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENT
GROWTH
INFANTS
LEAD
LEPTIN
MALES
MERCURY
METABOLIC DISEASES
PREGNANCY
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
SEX DEPENDENCE
SUPPORTS
WEIGHT