Association of serum levels of polychlorinated biphenyls with IL-8 mRNA expression in blood samples from asthmatic and non-asthmatic Japanese children.
BACKGROUND
One of the suggested health outcomes of PCB exposure is childhood asthma.


OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to find health relevant biomarkers providing the molecular epidemiological evidence for the positive relationship between exposure to PCBs and childhood asthma.


METHODS
Blood samples from fifteen asthmatic children as well as an equal number of non-asthmatic children (average 2 year old) were collected, and were analyzed for PCBs and their select marker expression by using qRT-PCR.


RESULTS
Among biomarkers examined IL-8 expression was significantly correlated to serum levels of PCB #163+164 (P=0.022), #170 (P=0.046), #177 (P=0.022), #178 (P=0.022) and #180+193 (P=0.046) in a dose-dependent manner, which was found only among asthmatic children. In contrast, COX-2 correlations to individual congener levels were recognized only among control subjects, not among asthmatic subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum concentrations of PCB#163+164, #170, #177, #178 and #180+193 correlate significantly with IL-8 mRNA expressions among asthmatic children.
Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States.
Mayumi
M
Tsuji
Christoph F A
CF
Vogel
Chihaya
C
Koriyama
Suminori
S
Akiba
Takahiko
T
Katoh
Toshihiro
T
Kawamoto
Fumio
F
Matsumura
D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002675:Child, Preschool; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000097:blood; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D016209:Interleukin-8; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2