Association between maternal blood cadmium and lead concentrations and gestational diabetes mellitus in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

• Published in: International archives of occupational and environmental health Vol. 92; no. 2; pp. 209 - 217
• Main Authors: Oguri, Tomoko, Ebara, Takashi, Nakayama, Shoji F., Sugiura-Ogasawara, Mayumi, Kamijima, Michihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-02-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Blood; Blood levels; Cadmium; Children; Confidence intervals; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Health; Gestation; Gynecology; Health risk assessment; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Lead; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Obstetrics; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original Article; Pregnancy; Regression analysis; Rehabilitation; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Japan; Lead; Gestational diabetes mellitus; Cadmium; Birth cohort; JECS; Pregnant women
• ISSN: 0340-0131; 1432-1246
• DOI: 10.1007/s00420-018-1367-7

Purpose
To examine the association between elevated blood cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) concentrations and increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods
This cross-sectional study included pregnant women (
n
 = 16,955) enrolled in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in blood samples collected at 22–28 weeks’ gestation were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. GDM was diagnosed according to the 2011 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists criteria. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression analysis.
Results
Blood Cd and Pb concentrations were slightly higher among women with GDM than among those without GDM; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Elevated blood Cd and Pb concentrations were not associated with increased GDM risk in the nulliparous group (Cd OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.28–2.08 for high vs low category; Pb OR 2.51; 95% CI 0.72–8.72) or the parous group (Cd OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.29–1.44; Pb OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.04–2.29).
Conclusions
This study demonstrates that Cd and Pb exposure, in the range of blood levels observed, has no significant relationship with the development of GDM. Further prospective studies would be valuable to confirm these findings.