title: Factors influencing combined exposure to three indicator polychlorinated biphenyls in an adult cohort from Bolivia.
abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls are persistent organic pollutants that have been used for decades in several industrial applications. Although production of polychlorinated biphenyls was restricted from the 1970s in most countries, substantial amounts remain in old equipment and buildings and they have been detected in various environmental and biological matrices. The main objective of this study was to analyze predictors of the combined exposure to three non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (congeners 138, 153 and 180) in serum and adipose tissue from an adult cohort (n=112) living in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) and surrounding towns/villages. A second aim was to identify modifiers that might influence the statistical associations found, using crude, partially-adjusted, and global multiple linear regression models. Main predictors of serum concentrations were occupation and fatty food consumption, while those for adipose tissue concentrations included age, smoking habit, fatty food consumption, and residence. The differences between the two matrices might be derived from their biological meaning, given that adipose tissue concentrations are an indicator of chronic exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls while serum levels are a good predictor of ongoing exposure and the mobilization of polychlorinated biphenyls stored in fatty tissues. Body mass index was found to be an important modifier of these associations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. jparrebola@ugr.es
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Arrebola
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mutch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuellar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quevedo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Claure
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Mejía
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández-Rodríguez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Olea
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mercado
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001838:Bolivia; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002947:Cities; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015394:Molecular Structure; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls