title: Serum concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and growth among Russian boys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited human data suggest an association of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with adverse effects on children's growth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the associations of OCPs with longitudinally assessed growth among peripubertal boys from a Russian cohort with high environmental OCP levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 499 boys enrolled in the Russian Children's Study between 2003 and 2005 at 8-9 years of age were followed prospectively for 4 years. At study entry, 350 boys had serum OCPs measured. Physical examinations were conducted at entry and annually. The longitudinal associations of serum OCPs with annual measurements of body mass index (BMI), height, and height velocity were examined by multivariate mixed-effects regression models for repeated measures, controlling for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 350 boys with OCP measurements, median serum hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (βHCH), and p,p´-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE) concentrations were 159 ng/g lipid, 168 ng/g lipid, and 287 ng/g lipid, respectively. Age-adjusted BMI and height z-scores generally fell within the normal range per World Health Organization standards at entry and during follow-up. However, in adjusted models, boys with higher serum HCB, βHCH, and p,p´-DDE had significantly lower mean [95% confidence interval (CI)] BMI z-scores, by -0.84 (-1.23, -0.46), -1.32 (-1.70, -0.95), and -1.37 (-1.75, -0.98), respectively, for the highest versus lowest quintile. In addition, the highest quintile of p,p´-DDE was associated with a significantly lower mean (95% CI) height z-score, by -0.69 (-1.00, -0.39) than that of the lowest quintile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum OCP concentrations measured at 8-9 years of age were associated with reduced growth, particularly reduced BMI, during the peripubertal period, which may affect attainment of optimal adult body mass and height.
authors: Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, 665 Huntington Ave., Building I, Room 1404E, Boston, MA 02115 USA. jburns@hsph.harvard.edu
authors: Jane S
authors: JS
authors: Burns
authors: Paige L
authors: PL
authors: Williams
authors: Oleg
authors: O
authors: Sergeyev
authors: Susan A
authors: SA
authors: Korrick
authors: Mary M
authors: MM
authors: Lee
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Revich
authors: Larisa
authors: L
authors: Altshul
authors: Julie T
authors: JT
authors: Del Prato
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Humblet
authors: Donald G
authors: DG
authors: Patterson
authors: Wayman E
authors: WE
authors: Turner
authors: Mikhail
authors: M
authors: Starovoytov
authors: Russ
authors: R
authors: Hauser
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012426:Russia; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides