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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure during pregnancy and child anthropometry from birth to 10 years of age : Sex-specific evidence from a cohort study in rural Bangladesh

Rahman, Syed Moshfiqur ; Malin Igra, Annachiara ; Essig, Julie Y ; Ekström, Eva-Charlotte LU ; Dreij, Kristian ; Trask, Mercedes ; Lindh, Christian LU orcid ; Arifeen, Shams El ; Rahman, Anisur and Krais, Annette M LU orcid , et al. (2023) In Environmental Research 227.
Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have endocrine disrupting properties and they cross the placental barrier, but studies on gestational exposure and child anthropometry are inconclusive. We aimed to elucidate the impact of early gestational PAH exposure on anthropometry from birth to 10 years of age in 1295 mother-child pairs from a nested sub-cohort of the MINIMat trial in Bangladesh. Several PAH metabolites [1-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-OH-Phe), Σ2-,3-hydroxyphenanthrene (Σ2-,3-OH-Phe), 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-Phe), 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-Pyr), Σ2-,3-hydroxyfluorene (Σ2-,3-OH-Flu)] were quantified in spot urine collected around gestational week 8 using LC-MS/MS. Child weight and height were measured at 19 occasions from birth to... (More)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have endocrine disrupting properties and they cross the placental barrier, but studies on gestational exposure and child anthropometry are inconclusive. We aimed to elucidate the impact of early gestational PAH exposure on anthropometry from birth to 10 years of age in 1295 mother-child pairs from a nested sub-cohort of the MINIMat trial in Bangladesh. Several PAH metabolites [1-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-OH-Phe), Σ2-,3-hydroxyphenanthrene (Σ2-,3-OH-Phe), 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-Phe), 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-Pyr), Σ2-,3-hydroxyfluorene (Σ2-,3-OH-Flu)] were quantified in spot urine collected around gestational week 8 using LC-MS/MS. Child weight and height were measured at 19 occasions from birth to 10 years. Multivariable-adjusted regression models were used to assess associations of maternal PAH metabolites (log 2-transformed) with child anthropometry. The median concentration of 1-OH-Phe, Σ2-,3-OH-Phe, 4-OH-Phe, 1-OH-Pyr and Σ2-,3-OH-Flu was 1.5, 1.9, 0.14, 2.5, and 2.0 ng/mL, respectively. All maternal urinary PAH metabolites were positively associated with newborn weight and length and all associations were more pronounced in boys than in girls (p interaction for all <0.14). In boys, the strongest associations were observed with Σ2-,3-OH-Phe and Σ2-,3-OH-Flu for which each doubling increased mean birth weight by 41 g (95% CI: 13; 69 and 12; 70) and length by 0.23 cm (0.075; 0.39) and 0.21 cm (0.045; 0.37), respectively. Maternal urinary PAH metabolites were not associated with child anthropometry at 10 years. In longitudinal analysis, however, maternal urinary PAH metabolites were positively associated with boys' weight-for-age (WAZ) and height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) from birth to 10 years, but only the association of 4-OH-Phe with HAZ was significant (B: 0.080 Z-scores; 95% CI 0.013, 0.15). No associations were observed with girls' WAZ or HAZ. In conclusion, gestational PAH exposure was positively associated with fetal and early childhood growth, especially in boys. Further studies are needed to confirm causality and to explore long-term health effects.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Anthropometry, Birth size, Birth weight, Growth, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Pre-pubertal age
in
Environmental Research
volume
227
article number
115787
pages
8 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85151280442
  • pmid:36997043
ISSN
1096-0953
DOI
10.1016/j.envres.2023.115787
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5cd09a72-a92c-4d0b-82cf-7b0de24270a8
date added to LUP
2023-04-04 14:40:16
date last changed
2024-04-05 18:15:29
@article{5cd09a72-a92c-4d0b-82cf-7b0de24270a8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have endocrine disrupting properties and they cross the placental barrier, but studies on gestational exposure and child anthropometry are inconclusive. We aimed to elucidate the impact of early gestational PAH exposure on anthropometry from birth to 10 years of age in 1295 mother-child pairs from a nested sub-cohort of the MINIMat trial in Bangladesh. Several PAH metabolites [1-hydroxyphenanthrene (1-OH-Phe), Σ2-,3-hydroxyphenanthrene (Σ2-,3-OH-Phe), 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-Phe), 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-Pyr), Σ2-,3-hydroxyfluorene (Σ2-,3-OH-Flu)] were quantified in spot urine collected around gestational week 8 using LC-MS/MS. Child weight and height were measured at 19 occasions from birth to 10 years. Multivariable-adjusted regression models were used to assess associations of maternal PAH metabolites (log  2-transformed) with child anthropometry. The median concentration of 1-OH-Phe, Σ2-,3-OH-Phe, 4-OH-Phe, 1-OH-Pyr and Σ2-,3-OH-Flu was 1.5, 1.9, 0.14, 2.5, and 2.0 ng/mL, respectively. All maternal urinary PAH metabolites were positively associated with newborn weight and length and all associations were more pronounced in boys than in girls (p interaction for all &lt;0.14). In boys, the strongest associations were observed with Σ2-,3-OH-Phe and Σ2-,3-OH-Flu for which each doubling increased mean birth weight by 41 g (95% CI: 13; 69 and 12; 70) and length by 0.23 cm (0.075; 0.39) and 0.21 cm (0.045; 0.37), respectively. Maternal urinary PAH metabolites were not associated with child anthropometry at 10 years. In longitudinal analysis, however, maternal urinary PAH metabolites were positively associated with boys' weight-for-age (WAZ) and height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) from birth to 10 years, but only the association of 4-OH-Phe with HAZ was significant (B: 0.080 Z-scores; 95% CI 0.013, 0.15). No associations were observed with girls' WAZ or HAZ. In conclusion, gestational PAH exposure was positively associated with fetal and early childhood growth, especially in boys. Further studies are needed to confirm causality and to explore long-term health effects. </p>}},
  author       = {{Rahman, Syed Moshfiqur and Malin Igra, Annachiara and Essig, Julie Y and Ekström, Eva-Charlotte and Dreij, Kristian and Trask, Mercedes and Lindh, Christian and Arifeen, Shams El and Rahman, Anisur and Krais, Annette M and Kippler, Maria}},
  issn         = {{1096-0953}},
  keywords     = {{Anthropometry; Birth size; Birth weight; Growth; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Pre-pubertal age}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Environmental Research}},
  title        = {{Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure during pregnancy and child anthropometry from birth to 10 years of age : Sex-specific evidence from a cohort study in rural Bangladesh}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.115787}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.envres.2023.115787}},
  volume       = {{227}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}