Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposures and thyroid hormones in children at age 3?years.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) reduce serum thyroid hormone concentrations in animal studies, but few studies have examined the impact of early-life PBDE exposures on thyroid hormone disruption in childhood. METHODS:We used data from 162 mother-child pairs from the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment Study (2003-2006, Cincinnati, OH). We measured PBDEs in maternal serum at 16?±?3?weeks gestation and in child serum at 1-3?years. Thyroid hormones were measured in serum at 3?years. We used multiple informant models to investigate associations between prenatal and early-life PBDE exposures and thyroid hormone levels at age 3?years. RESULTS:Prenatal PBDEs were associated with decreased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels at age 3?years. A 10-fold increase in prenatal ?PBDEs (BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, and -153) was associated with a 27.6% decrease (95% CI -40.8%, -11.3%) in TSH. A ten-fold increase in prenatal ?PBDEs was associated with a 0.25?pg/mL (0.07, 0.43) increase in free triiodothyronine (FT3). Child sex modified associations between prenatal PBDEs and thyroid hormones, with significant decrements in TSH among females and decreased free T4 (FT4) in males. Prenatal ?PBDEs were not associated with TT4, FT4, or total T3. CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest an inverse relationship between prenatal ?PBDEs and TSH at 3?years. Associations may be sexually dimorphic, with an inverse relationship between prenatal BDE-47 and -99 and TSH in females and null associations among males.

SUBMITTER: Vuong AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5997562 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature