Serum levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in early pregnancy and their associations with gestational diabetes mellitus

Jinqi Ma; Ying Li; Li Qian; Shijie Geng; Xiaodie Yao; Xian Gao; Yan Yan; Juan Wen

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139640

Serum levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in early pregnancy and their associations with gestational diabetes mellitus

Chemosphere. 2023 Oct:339:139640. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139640. Epub 2023 Jul 25.

Authors

Jinqi Ma¹, Ying Li¹, Li Qian¹, Shijie Geng², Xiaodie Yao², Xian Gao¹, Yan Yan¹, Juan Wen³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu, China.
² Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Institute, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, 210004, Jiangsu, China.
³ Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Institute, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, 210004, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: wenjuan@njmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37499805
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139640

Abstract

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) are extensively present in humans and may disturb glucose metabolism during pregnancy. However, previous reports on the associations between PCBs/PBDEs levels and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have been inconsistent. We performed a nested case-control study to measure the serum levels of 6 PCB and 7 PBDE congeners in early pregnancy, and to assess their associations with GDM risk and blood glucose levels. Totally, 208 serum samples (104 GDM cases and 104 controls) were included based on a prospective cohort which was carried out in Jiangsu province, China, from 2020 to 2022. The results showed that PCB-153 was the major PCB congener, whereas PBDE-47 was the predominant PBDE congener. The continuous concentrations of PCB-153, PBDE-28, and total PCB were significantly related to an increased risk of GDM, with adjusted ORs (95%CI) of 1.25 (1.04-1.50), 1.19 (1.02-1.39), and 1.37 (1.05-1.79), respectively. Potential dose-response relationships were also observed between serum levels of PCB-153 (P = 0.011), PBDE-28 (P = 0.028), total PCB (P = 0.048), and total PCB/PBDE (P = 0.010) and GDM risk. Moreover, PCB-153, PBDE-28 and total PCB levels were positively related to 1-h OGTT blood glucose (adjusted β_PCB-153: 0.14, 95%CI: 0.00-0.28; adjusted β_PBDE-28: 0.20, 95%CI: 0.08-0.32; adjusted β_{total PCB}: 0.30, 95%CI: 0.09-0.50), whereas none of the PCBs/PBDEs were statistically related to fasting blood glucose and 2-h OGTT blood glucose (all P > 0.05). Further meta-analysis also supported the association of PCBs exposure with GDM risk. Our study provides further evidence that PCBs/PBDEs exposure may increase GDM risk during pregnancy.

Keywords: Blood glucose; GDM; Nested case-control study; PBDEs; PCBs.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis

MeSH terms

Blood Glucose
Case-Control Studies
Diabetes, Gestational*
Environmental Pollutants* / analysis
Female
Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / analysis
Humans
Polybrominated Biphenyls* / analysis
Polychlorinated Biphenyls* / analysis
Pregnancy
Prospective Studies

Substances

2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
pentabromodiphenyl ether
Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
Environmental Pollutants
Blood Glucose
Polybrominated Biphenyls