title: Prenatal exposure to organochlorine pesticides and TSH status in newborns from Southern Spain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in male newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exposure to 17 OCPs was analyzed in 220 placentas from a male birth cohort in Southern Spain, and TSH was measured in the umbilical cord blood. OCP concentrations were quantified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between pesticide exposure and neonatal TSH levels, adjusting for confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Newborn boys with higher exposure to endrin in placenta had higher odds of TSH cord blood levels ≥ 5 mU/L (80th percentile) (OR=2.05; 95% CI=1.01, 4.18; p=0.05), whereas higher prenatal exposure to endosulfan-sulfate was associated with lower odds of TSH ≥ 5 mU/L (OR=0.36; 95% CI=0.17, 0.77; p=0.008). A marginally significant negative association was found between TSH and hexachlorobenzene levels (β=-0.15; 95% CI=-0.31, 0.02; p=0.09), and exposure to p,p'-DDE showed a marginally-significant higher odds of TSH ≥ 5 mU/L (OR=1.32; 95% CI=0.95, 1.83; p=0.09). No association was found between TSH and the remaining pesticides.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early exposure to certain environmental chemicals with endocrine-disruption activity may interfere with neonatal thyroid hormone status; however, the pattern of interference is not yet clearly elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Av. Madrid s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain. cfreire@ugr.es
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.forename: Maria-Jose
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lopez-Espinosa
authors.forename: Marieta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Jose-Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Molina-Molina
authors.forename: Remedios
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prada
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Olea
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000378:metabolism*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D013030:Spain; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D013972:Thyrotropin