title: Methylsulfonyl metabolites of PCBs and DDE in human tissues.
abstract: Methylsulfonyl metabolites of chlorinated biphenyls (MeSO2-CBs) and p,p'-DDE (MeSO2-DDEs) were determined in human adipose and liver tissues obtained at autopsy of seven Swedish individuals 47-80 years of age. Twenty MeSO2-CBs and two MeSO2-DDEs were found in the analyzed samples. In adipose tissue, most of the 4-MeSO2-CBs were found at higher concentrations than the corresponding 3-MeSO2-CBs and, in all samples of adipose tissue, 4-MeSO2-2,2',3',4',5-pentaCB (4-87) and 4-MeSO2-2,2',3,4',5',6-hexaCB (4-149) occurred at higher concentrations than other MeSO2-CBs. In the liver, 3-MeSO2-2,2',3',4',5,6-hexaCB (3-132) was by far the most abundant MeSO2-CB, contributing to 61-82% of the sum of MeSO2-CBs. In this tissue, most of the other 3-MeSO2-CBs were also found at higher concentrations than the corresponding 4-MeSO2-CBs. The ratios of the sum of MeSO2-CBs to the sum of determined chlorinated biphenyls (CBs) were 1/250 and 1/28 in adipose tissue and the liver, respectively, calculated from the median values. The concentration of 2-MeSO2-DDE was lower than that of 3-MeSO2-DDE in both adipose tissue and liver, except in the liver from one of the individuals. The concentration ratios of 2-MeSO2-DDE to 3-MeSO2-DDE were about 10 times higher in liver than in adipose tissue. The ratios of the sum of MeSO2-DDEs to p,p'-DDE were 1/455 and 1/61 in adipose tissue and liver, respectively, calculated from the median values. MeSO2-CBs and MeSO2-DDEs were also determined in lung tissue from one of the individuals. In this sample, the profiles of MeSO2-CBs and MeSO2-DDEs were similar to the profiles of these compounds in adipose tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weistrand
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norén
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000378:metabolism*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls