Naslov
Biomarkers of metal exposure and their effects in women of childbearing age in Zagreb County, Croatia

Autori
Piasek, Martina ; Stasenko, Sandra ; Jurasović, Jasna ; Varnai, Veda Marija

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Congress Brochure with Abstracts, 39th International MEDICHEM Congress on Occupational and Environmental Health in the Production and Use of Chemicals, MEDICHEM 2011 "Occupational Health in a Changing World" / Beth-Hübner, Maren - Heidelberg : BG RCI, 2011, 63-63

Skup
39th International MEDICHEM Congress on Occupational and Environmental Health in the Production and Use of Chemicals, MEDICHEM 2011 "Occupational Health in a Changing World"

Mjesto i datum
Heidelberg, Njemačka, 02.06.2011. - 05.06.2011

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
human biomonitoring; cadmium; lead; mercury; iron; zinc; selenium; maternal blood; cord blood; human placenta

Sažetak
The investigation aimed at assessing exposure levels of metals in general environment and imminent risks of adverse effects in women of reproductive age and in the newborn due to prenatal exposure. The study included 406 healthy women who gave vaginal birth at term in a clinical hospital in Zagreb, Croatia. We measured concentrations of toxic metals cadmium, lead, and mercury, and of essential micronutrients iron, zinc, copper, and selenium in samples of maternal venous blood, umbilical cord blood, and placental tissue (using standard analytical techniques, AAS and ICP-MS). We also assayed steroid hormones in placental tis-sue ex vivo (using enzyme-immunometric method). All data were statistically analysed in relation to the most common sources of metal exposure, which are food and cigarette smoking. None of the subjects was occupationally exposed to either metal.In maternal blood of smokers, cadmium was as twice as high as in non-smokers and correlated with smoking habit in pregnancy. In cord blood of smoking mothers, cadmium was ten times lower than in maternal blood and did not differ from non-smoking mothers. There were no dif-ferences in blood lead or in serum iron, zinc, copper, and selenium con-centrations between smokers and non-smokers. Mercury in maternal and cord blood and selenium in maternal and cord serum increased linearly with dietary intake of fish. In smokers, placental cadmium was twice as high as in non-smokers, placental lead was higher, while birth weight, birth length, and birth weight/placental weight ratio were lower than in non-smokers. The levels of both toxic metals inversely correlated with birth weight. Placental zinc was higher in smoking mothers (making it less available to the foetus), and iron and copper did not change. Progesterone and estradiol levels in placental tissue correlated, and we found no significant difference between smoking and non-smoking mothers (in a preliminary study, we observed lower placental progesterone in smokers: in Piasek et al., Reprod Toxicol 2001, 15:673-81). This study confirms that, beside blood and serum, human placenta can make a unique and useful tool for biological monitoring of metals from external maternal environment and, at the same time, within the maternal organism that is internal environment for foetal development. Exposure to toxic metals in the women of Zagreb County is similar to other conti-nental big European city areas, and does not pose a serious threat for the unborn child. Exposure to tobacco smoke, due to cadmium bioac-cumulation and action in placental tissue, may adversely affect placental function in transport of essential micronutrients to the foetus (as we showed for zinc) that may result in lower birth weight and length.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita

Napomena
Congress Brochure with Abstracts, p 83.: "Winner of the MEDICHEM Scholarship Award 2011: Dr. Martina Piasek Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia ; Dr. Caihong Xing National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China"

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