Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls exposure on physical growth from birth to childhood and adolescence A prospective cohort study

• Published in: Environmental Research
• Main Authors: Tahir, Emad, Cordier, Sylvaine, Courtemanche, Yohann, Forget-Dubois, Nadine, Desrochers-Couture, Mireille, Bélanger, Richard E, Ayotte, Pierre, Jacobson, Joseph L, Jacobson, Sandra W, Muckle, Gina
• Other Authors: CHU de Québec–Université Laval, Université Laval Québec (ULaval), Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset), Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Rennes (UR)-École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique EHESP (EHESP)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes ( Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique ), Wayne State University Detroit, The authors are extremely grateful to the Nunavik population, all the people involved in this study andthe Nunavik Nutrition and Health Committee for their useful comments on this manuscript.This longitudinal research was funded by the Institute of Indigenous People's Health from the CanadianInstitutes of Health Research (NRF130242), NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences(R01-ES007902); the Northern Contaminants Program from Government Canada; and the Lycaki-Young Fund from the State of Michigan. None of the funding sources was involved in the conception,analysis or interpretation of the data
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2020
• Subjects: Polychlorinated biphenyls; Adolescence; Body height; Body weight; Childhood; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Canada; inuit
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02930035; https://hal.science/hal-02930035/document; https://hal.science/hal-02930035/file/Tahir%20et%20al-2020-Effects%20of%20polychlorinated%20biphenyls%20exposure%20on%20physical%20growth%20from%20birth%20to.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109924

International audience Background/aims: Given that their traditional lifestyle and diet still relies on fish and other marine species for sustenance, the Inuit are highly exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and PCBs are increasingly linked to obesity. However, evidence is not consistent regarding which periods of exposure are most relevant. In this study, we examine whether in utero, childhood, and adolescent exposure to PCBs are related to physical growth at adolescence.Method: Inuit adolescents from Canada (N=212) enrolled in a prospective longitudinal cohort study since birth were assessed for height, weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and fat free mass index (FFMI) at 18 years of age. PCB 153 concentrations were quantified in blood samples obtained at birth (umbilical cord), 11, and 18 years of age. Maternal anthropometrics were measured and those for the newborns collected from medical records. Data on biological mothers and participants' sociodemographic characteristics and food security were collected using interviews. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to test associations between PCB 153 concentrations and adolescent anthropometric measures.Results: Cord PCB 153 was not related to height or FFMI at adolescence. By contrast, analyses showed that cord PCB 153 was related to higher BMI, FMI and marginally to weight in girls but not boys. Child PCB 153 was not related to height, weight or FFMI in adolescence. Child PCB 153 was related to lower BMI and FMI at adolescence in both sexes, particularly among those considered overweight or obese during childhood. Adolescent PCB 153 was not associated with any outcome.Conclusion: This study suggests that prenatal exposure to PCBs may have a long-term effect on growth in early adulthood among girls and identifies the peri-pubertal period as another window of sensitivity for the action of PCBs. Our findings also suggest that exposure to PCBs and body size be documented in multiple time periods from infancy to adulthood.