title: Exploring associations between serum levels of select organochlorines and thyroxine in a sample of New York state sportsmen: the New York State Angler Cohort Study.
abstract: This preliminary study investigated associations between environmental organochlorine compounds and thyroid function in a sample of 66 sportsmen selected from among participants in the New York State Angler Cohort Study. A cross-sectional design was employed with the primary goal of the analysis being the generation of specific testable hypotheses. Blood samples were analyzed for compounds based on a priori identified literature-cited evidence of thyroid disruption. These included hexachlorobenzene and polychlorinated biphenyl congeners 19, 28, 47, 118, 153, 169, 180, 183, and 187. Time of sample collection, serum triglycerides, cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoproteins, age, body mass index, and cigarette smoking were considered for each participant. Potential associations between organochlorine compounds and serum total thyroxine, controlling for potential confounders, were examined using multivariable linear regression models. The models reported consisted of all variates being entered ("full" model, R2=0.380, P=0.136) and stepwise selection of variates ("reduced" models, alpha=0.15) using the criterion of maximum partial correlation at each step. Several procedures were considered to address contaminant data below the limit of detection in the reduced models with no change in selected predictors. Hexachlorobenzene (beta=-0.113) and age (beta=0.007) were selected as predictors of serum T4 in the reduced models (R2=0.083, P=0.065). Power analysis suggested that by doubling the sample size the existing results would be statistically significant with a type I error of 0.05 and a power of 0.80. These findings are important in the design of a new specific study of thyroid function and environmental contaminants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 3435 Main St., Farber Hall Rm. #270, Buffalo, NY 14214-3000, USA. msbloom@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Vena
authors.forename: Gregory P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Beehler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D006114:Great Lakes Region; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008917:Mirex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009518:New York; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D012907:Smoking; D013177:Sports; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D007306:Insecticides; D014280:Triglycerides; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D002784:Cholesterol; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D013974:Thyroxine; D008917:Mirex