Sex-related differences in the associations between maternal dioxin-like compounds and reproductive and steroid hormones in cord blood: The Hokkaido study

Chihiro Miyashita; Atsuko Araki; Takahiko Mitsui; Sachiko Itoh; Houman Goudarzi; Seiko Sasaki; Jumboku Kajiwara; Tsuguhide Hori; Kazutoshi Cho; Kimihiko Moriya; Nobuo Shinohara; Katsuya Nonomura; Reiko Kishi

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.046

Sex-related differences in the associations between maternal dioxin-like compounds and reproductive and steroid hormones in cord blood: The Hokkaido study

Environ Int. 2018 Aug:117:175-185. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.046. Epub 2018 May 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
² Department of Urology, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
³ Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; First Department of Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
⁴ Department of Public Health Sciences, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
⁵ Fukuoka Institute of Health and Environmental Sciences, Dazaifu, Japan.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Genecology, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
⁷ Department of Renal and Genitourinary Surgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
⁸ Department of Renal and Genitourinary Surgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan; Kushiro Rosai Hospital, Kushiro, Japan.
⁹ Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. Electronic address: rkishi@med.hokudai.ac.jp.

PMID: 29753148
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.046

Abstract

Background: Prenatal exposure to dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) irreversibly affects fetal reproductive and steroid hormone synthesis.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationships between maternal DLCs and cord blood reproductive and steroid hormones.

Methods: Participants in this study were pregnant women who enrolled in the Sapporo Cohort of the Hokkaido Study between 2002 and 2005. We quantified 29 DLCs during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters in maternal blood. Additionally, we measured the concentrations of progesterone, estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, cortisone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin, inhibin B, and insulin-like factor-3 (INSL3) in cord blood samples.

Results: Data from 183 mother-child pairs were analyzed. We observed sex-dependent associations of DLCs on T/E2 ratios, DHEA, cortisol, cortisone, adrenal androgen/glucocorticoid (AA/GC: sum of DHEA and androstenedione)/(sum of cortisol and cortisone) ratios and SHBG. An increase in maternal DLCs related to decreased T/E2 ratios and SHBG and inhibin B levels, and increased AA/GC ratios and FSH and DHEA levels in male cord blood samples. However, an increase in maternal mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls related to increased cortisol, cortisone, and SHBG levels, and decreased DHEA levels and AA/GC ratios in female cord blood samples.

Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to DLCs alters steroidogenesis and suppresses the secretion of inhibin B in male cord blood. Relationships between maternal DLCs and cord blood hormones differ between boys and girls. Further studies are required to clarify whether the effects of in utero exposure to DLCs on adrenal hormones extend into infancy and puberty.

Keywords: Cord blood; Dioxin-like compounds; Prenatal exposure; Reproductive hormones.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cohort Studies
Dioxins / blood*
Female
Fetal Blood / chemistry*
Hormones / blood*
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Pregnancy

Substances

Dioxins
Hormones