Diabetes Prevalence in Relation to Serum Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Congener Groups and Three Chlorinated Pesticides in a Native American Population.

Aminov, Zafar; Haase, Richard; Rej, Robert; Schymura, Maria J.; Santiago-Rivera, Azara; Morse, Gayle; DeCaprio, Anthony; Carpenter, David O.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which POPs are most associated with prevalence of diabetes in 601 Akwesasne Native Americans. METHODS: Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between quartiles of concentrations of 101 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) congeners, congener groups and three chlori nated pesticides [dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and mirex] with diabetes. In Model 1, the relationship between quartiles of exposure and diabetes were adjusted only for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and total serum lipids. Model 2 included additional adjustment for either total PCBs or total pesticides. RESULTS: Total serum PCB and pesticide concentrations were each significantly associated with prevalence of diabetes when adjusted only for covariates (Model 1), but neither showed a significant OR for highest to lowest quartiles after additional adjustment for the other (Model 2). When applying Model 2 to PCB congener groups and individual pesticides, there were significant omnibus differences between the four quartiles (all ps < 0.042) for most groups, with the exception of penta- and hexachlorobiphenyls, DDE and mirex. However, when comparing highest to lowest quartiles only non- and mono-ortho PCBs [OR = 4.55 (95% CI: 1.48, 13.95)], tri- and tetrachloro PCBs [OR = 3.66 (95% CI: 1.37, -9.78)] and HCB [OR = 2.64 (95% CI: 1.05, 6.61)] showed significant associations with diabetes. Among the non- and mono-ortho congeners, highest to lowest quartile of dioxin TEQs was not significant [OR = 1.82 (95% CI: 0.61, 5.40)] but the OR for the non-dioxin-like congeners was [OR = 5.01 (95% CI: 1.76, 14.24)]. CONCLUSION: The associations with diabetes after adjustment for other POPs were strongest with the more volatile, non-dioxin-like, low-chlorinated PCB congeners and HCB. Because low- chlorinated congeners are more volatile, these observations suggest that inhalation of vapor-phase PCBs is an important route of exposure.

PERSISTENT pollutants; PHYSIOLOGY; DIABETES risk factors; NATIVE Americans; POLYCHLORINATED biphenyls; CHI-squared test; CONFIDENCE intervals; PESTICIDES; RESEARCH funding; ENVIRONMENTAL exposure; MULTIPLE regression analysis; BODY mass index; DATA analysis software; ODDS ratio

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2016, Vol 124, Issue 9, p1376

0091-6765

Academic Journal

10.1289/ehp.1509902