title: Circulating levels of persistent organic pollutants are related to retrospective assessment of life-time weight change.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been suggested to be linked to obesity. We have previously shown that less-chlorinated PCBs were positively related to fat mass, while highly-chlorinated PCBs were inversely related to obesity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present evaluation is to investigate the relationship between retrospective assessed life-time change in body weight (20-70 years) with circulating POP levels measured at age 70 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  1016 subjects aged 70 years were investigated in the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUSs) study. 16 PCBs and 3 OC pesticides were analyzed using HRGC/HRMS. Current body weight was measured and participants self-reported their weight at age 20.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average estimated weight change over 50 years was 14.4 kg. Both the sum of OC pesticide concentrations (4.3 kg more weight gain in quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, p<0.0001) and the sum of the less-chlorinated PCBs were positively related to the estimated weight change (3.7 kg more weight gain in quintile 2 vs. quintile 1, non-linear relationship p=0.0015). In contrast, the sum of concentrations of highly-chlorinated PCBs were inversely related to estimated weight change (8.4 kg less weight gain in quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High levels of OC pesticides and the less-chlorinated PCBs at age 70 were associated with a pronounced estimated weight change over the previous 50 years. However, the opposite was seen for highly-chlorinated PCBs. Differences in mode of action, toxicokinetics, non-linear relationships and reverse causation might explain these discrepancies.
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. monica.lind@medsci.uu.se
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: Duk-Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salihovic
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Bavel
authors.forename: Mary S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lind
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D054879:Halogenation; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls