Chlorinated contaminants, growth and thyroid function in schoolchildren from the Aral Sea region in Kazakhstan

Mazhitova, Z; Jensen, S; Ritzén, M; Zetterström, R

HERO ID

2168052

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

1998

Language

English

PMID

9764896

HERO ID 2168052
In Press No
Year 1998
Title Chlorinated contaminants, growth and thyroid function in schoolchildren from the Aral Sea region in Kazakhstan
Authors Mazhitova, Z; Jensen, S; Ritzén, M; Zetterström, R
Journal Acta Paediatrica
Volume 87
Issue 9
Page Numbers 991-995
Abstract It has been shown by others that offspring of mothers who had been exposed to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during pregnancy have elevated plasma levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) for at least 3 months after birth and reduced plasma levels of free and total thyroxine during the second week after birth. As elevated levels of dioxins and PCB s can thus alter thyroid hormone status, the relation between the levels of some polychlorinated organic compounds in the blood lipids and growth and thyroid hormone status was studied in 12 hospitalized schoolchildren from the Aral Sea region known to have high exposure to such compounds. Their level of PCBs was two to four times higher than in healthy Stockholm children. Their height was found to be lower than in healthy Swedish children of the same age mean (SDS -0.52) and the body mass index (BMI) was inversely correlated to the total concentrations of PCBs and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolite dichlorophenyldichloroethylene (DDE) in the blood lipids. As the levels of insulin-like growth factor- were reduced to the same extent as the BMI it seems likely that PCBs and DDT cause malnutrition as a result of malabsorption. None of the children had any impairment of thyroid function, as revealed by the plasma levels of TSH and thyroxine. Although the concentrations of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH) and DDE were extremely high in some of the children there was no relation between thyroid hormone status and the blood lipid levels of PCBs, hexachlorocyclohexane and DDT. However, the concentration of dioxins was not analysed.
Doi 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1998.tb01771.x
Pmid 9764896
Wosid WOS:000076077000015
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English
Keyword body mass index; DDT compounds; environmental pollution; HCH compounds; insulin-like growth factor-1; PCB compounds; thyroid-stimulating hormone; thyroxine; malabsorption