[Effects of the electronic waste pollution on the levels of thyroid hormone and its receptor expression in the parturient woman and the newborn].
OBJECTIVE
The levels of thyroid hormones and its receptor expression in the parturient women and the newborns from an electronic waste dismantling region were investigated.


METHODS
We detected the sera levels, including thyroid hormones FT3, FT4, TSH among the subjects from the exposed group (n=48) and the control group (n=45) by immuno radiometric assay (IRMA). The expression levels of TRalpha1, TRbeta1, TSHR mRNA in placentas and umbilical cords were detected by fluorscent quantitative real time PCR (FQ-PCR). The correlation were determined between the thyroid hormones levels in maternal, sera and in umbilical sera, and between the expression levels of its receptors mRNA in placentas and umbilical cords.


RESULTS
(1) The FT4 levels of both maternal sera and umbilical cord sera in the exposed group were lower than those in the control (P < 0.05). However, increased the TSH levels in the exposed group were statistically significance compared to the control group (P < 0.05). (2) The TRalPHA1 and TRbeta1 mRNA levels both in placentas and umbilical cords in exposed group were lower than those in control group (P <0.05 and 0.01). However, the TSHR mRNA levels in the exposed group were statistically significance compared to the control group (P < 0.01). (3) The sera FT4 and TSH levels of parturient women were positively correlated with those of the newborns in both groups (P < 0.05 and 0.01). (4) The mRNA levels of TRalpha1, TRbeta1 and TSHR in placentas were positively correlated with those in umbilical cords in both groups (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that some environmental pollutants existing in e-waste dismantling region may affect the health of local parturient women and newborns, representing changes both in sera levels of thyroid hormones and in mRNA expression of its receptors.
Ju
Ying
Y
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. juyingsport@163.com
Xu
Guojian
G
Chen
Lan
L
Shi
Jibin
J
D000328:Adult; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011988:Receptors, Thyroid Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D018505:Waste Management
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011988:Receptors, Thyroid Hormone; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine