Diabetes in relation to serum levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and chlorinated pesticides in adult Native Americans.
BACKGROUND
Recent research suggests that diabetes, a condition whose incidence is increasing, is associated with exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides.


OBJECTIVE
We investigated the potential association between diabetes and serum levels of PCBs, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and mirex in a cross-sectional study of an adult Native-American (Mohawk) population.


METHODS
Through a standardized questionnaire we collected demographic, medical, and lifestyle information from 352 adults, > or =30 years of age. We collected fasting serum samples that were analyzed for 101 PCB congeners, DDE, HCB, and mirex along with fasting glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol. Participants who had fasting-glucose values > 125 mg/dL and/or who were taking antidiabetic medication were defined as persons with diabetes. We conducted logistic regression to assess the potential association between organochlorine serum levels and diabetes, while controlling for the potential confounding variables of age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, sex, and serum lipid levels. Organochlorine serum levels were categorized in tertiles, and the lowest tertile was used as the reference category.


RESULTS
The prevalence of diabetes was 20.2%. The odds ratio (OR) of having diabetes for participants in the highest tertile of total PCB concentration compared with the lowest tertile was 3.9 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-10.6). The corresponding ORs for DDE and HCB were even higher. Elevated serum mirex was not associated with diabetes. After adjustment for other analytes, the OR for HCB remained significant, whereas ORs for PCBs and DDE remained elevated but not statistically significant. In contrast, after adjustment for other analytes, the OR for mirex became statistically significant and indicated an inverse association.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study of adult Native Americans, elevated serum PCBs, DDE, and HCB were positively associated with diabetes after controlling for potential confounders, whereas a negative association was observed for mirex.
Codru
Neculai
N
Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Rensselaer, New York 12144-3429, USA.
Schymura
Maria J
MJ
Negoita
Serban
S
Rej
Robert
R
Carpenter
David O
DO
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008917:Mirex / Q000097:blood*; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D008917:Mirex