Document Type
Journal Article
Department/Unit
Department of Chemistry
Language
English
Abstract
Background
Previous studies have suggested that phthalates might disrupt fetal steroidogenesis. However, the evidence of the effects of prenatal phthalate exposure across pregnancy on fetal glucocorticoids was insufficient.
Objective
We investigated the associations between urinary phthalate metabolites across pregnancy and cord blood glucocorticoids in a prospective birth cohort.
Methods
Our study included 553 mother-infant pairs from a prospective birth cohort conducted in Wuhan, China. Maternal urine samples were collected at 14, 24 and 36 weeks of gestation (mean). Urinary phthalate metabolites and cord blood glucocorticoids (cortisol and cortisone) were measured. Generalized estimating equation models were conducted to explore the relationships of phthalate metabolite concentrations at each trimester and glucocorticoid levels.
Results
Among the participants, mono‑benzyl phthalate (MBzP) in the first trimester was associated with higher cortisol/cortisone ratio concentrations, and mono‑(2‑ethyl‑5‑carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP) and mono‑(2‑ethyl‑5‑oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) measured in the third trimester were associated with decreased cortisone. Moreover, the associations between phthalates and glucocorticoids varied by sex. Among the female infants, each 10-fold increase in several maternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in 1st and 3rd trimester was associated with the increased glucocorticoid levels with percent changes ranged from 16.2%–55.9%. However, among male infants, each 10-fold increase in maternal urinary MECPP, mono‑(2‑ethyl‑5‑hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and MEOHP in 3rd trimester was associated with 20.8%–36.3% decreased cortisol and cortisone levels, respectively.
Conclusion
We have shown that prenatal phthalate exposure during early and late trimester disrupted the infant steroidogenesis and these associations might be modified by infant sex. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate phthalate exposure at three trimesters during pregnancy in relation to infant glucocorticoids.
Keywords
Phthalate, Glucocorticoid, Prenatal exposure, Trimester-specific
Publication Date
12-2018
Source Publication Title
Environment International
Volume
121
Start Page
471
End Page
479
Publisher
Elsevier
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
DOI
10.1016/j.envint.2018.09.037
Link to Publisher's Edition
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.09.037
ISSN (print)
01604120
ISSN (electronic)
18736750
APA Citation
Sun, X., Li, J., Jin, S., Liu, W., Zhao, H., Jian, Y., Liu, H., Xia, W., Cai, Z., Xu, S., & Shen, X. (2018). Associations between repeated measures of maternal urinary phthalate metabolites during pregnancy and cord blood glucocorticoids. Environment International, 121, 471-479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.09.037