Prevalence of metabolic syndrome associated with body burden levels of dioxin and related compounds among Japan's general population.
BACKGROUND
Environmental exposure to some persistent organic pollutants has been reported to be associated with a metabolic syndrome in the U.S. population.


OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the associations of body burden levels of dioxins and related compounds with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the general population in Japan.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study with 1,374 participants not occupationally exposed to these pollutants, living throughout Japan during 2002-2006. In fasting blood samples, we measured biochemical factors and determined lipid-adjusted concentrations of 10 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), 7 polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and 12 dioxin-like poly-chlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) all of which have toxic equivalency factors. We also performed a questionnaire survey.


RESULTS
The toxic equivalents (TEQs) of PCDDs, PCDFs, and DL-PCBs and total TEQs had significant adjusted associations with metabolic syndrome, whether or not we excluded diabetic subjects. By analyzing each component of metabolic syndrome separately, the DL-PCB TEQs and total TEQs were associated with all components, and the odds ratios (ORs) in the highest quartile of DL-PCB TEQs in four of the five components were higher than those for PCDDs or PCDFs. We also found congener-specific associations with metabolic syndrome; in particular, the highest quartiles of PCB-126 and PCB-105 had adjusted ORs of 9.1 and 7.3, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that body burden levels of dioxins and related compounds, particularly those of DL-PCBs, are associated with metabolic syndrome. Of the components, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, and glucose intolerance were most closely associated with these pollutants.
Department of Preventive Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan. uemura@basic.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Hirokazu
H
Uemura
Kokichi
K
Arisawa
Mineyoshi
M
Hiyoshi
Atsushi
A
Kitayama
Hidenobu
H
Takami
Fusakazu
F
Sawachika
Satoru
S
Dakeshita
Kentaro
K
Nii
Hiroshi
H
Satoh
Yoshio
Y
Sumiyoshi
Kenji
K
Morinaga
Kazunori
K
Kodama
Taka-ichiro
T
Suzuki
Masaki
M
Nagai
Tsuguyoshi
T
Suzuki
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D001822:Body Burden; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls