Flame Retardants in Placenta and Breast Milk and Cryptorchidism in Newborn Boys

Background: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used in Western countries. Objectives: Because the prevalence of cryptorchidism appears to be increasing, we investigated whether exposure to PBDEs was associated with testicular maldescent. Methods: In a prospective Danish-Finnish study,...

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Published in:	Environmental health perspectives Vol. 115; no. 10; pp. 1519 - 1526
Main Authors:	Katharina Maria Main, Kiviranta, Hannu, Helena Eeva Virtanen, Erno Sundqvist, Jouni Tapio Tuomisto, Tuomisto, Jouko, Vartiainen, Terttu, Skakkebæk, Niels Erik, Toppari, Jorma
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. National Institutes of Health. Department of Health, Education and Welfare 01-10-2007 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Subjects:	Adult Breast milk Case-Control Studies Chemical hazards Children's Health Congeners Cryptorchidism Cryptorchidism - chemically induced Cryptorchidism - epidemiology Cryptorchism Denmark - epidemiology Diseases Environmental Exposure Environmental health Female Finland - epidemiology Fireproofing agents Flame Retardants - analysis Flame Retardants - toxicity Gestational age Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers Health aspects Hormones Humans Infant, Newborn Infants (Newborn) Longitudinal Studies Male Milk, Human - chemistry Mothers Phenyl Ethers - analysis Phenyl Ethers - toxicity Placenta Placenta - chemistry Polybrominated Biphenyls - analysis Polybrominated Biphenyls - toxicity Pregnancy Prospective Studies Statistics as Topic Tor Denmark Finland breast milk polybrominated diphenyl ethers exposure infant human cryptorchidism
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Summary:	Background: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used in Western countries. Objectives: Because the prevalence of cryptorchidism appears to be increasing, we investigated whether exposure to PBDEs was associated with testicular maldescent. Methods: In a prospective Danish-Finnish study, 1997-2001, all boys were examined for cryptorchidism. We analyzed whole placentas (for 95 cryptorchid/185 healthy boys) and individual breast milk samples (62/68) for 14 PBDEs and infant serum samples for gonadotropins, sex-hormone binding globulin, testosterone, and inhibin B. Results: In 86 placenta-milk pairs, placenta PBDE concentrations in fat were lower than in breast milk, and a larger number of congeners were nondetectable. There was no significant difference between boys with and without cryptorchidism for individual congeners, the sum of 5 most prevalent, or all 14 congeners. The concentration of PBDEs in breast milk was significantly higher in boys with cryptorchidism than in controls (sum of BDEs 47, 153, 99, 100, 28, 66, and 154: median, 4.16 vs. 3.16 ng/g fat; p < 0.007). There was a positive correlation between the sum of PBDEs and serum luteinizing hormone (p < 0.033). The sum of PBDEs in breast milk did not differ between Denmark and Finland (median, 3.52 vs. 3.44 ng/g fat), but significant differences in some individual congeners were found. Conclusions: Two different proxies were used for prenatal PBDE exposure, and levels in breast milk, but not in placenta, showed an association with congenital cryptorchidism. Other environmental factors may contribute to cryptorchidism. Our observations are of concern because human exposure to PBDEs is high in some geographic areas.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.
ISSN:	0091-6765 1552-9924
DOI:	10.1289/ehp.9924