title: Polychlorinated biphenyls in serum, liver and adipose tissue of subjects with hepatocellular carcinoma living in a highly polluted area.
abstract: Brescia (North Italy) is located in a highly industrialized area with diffuse environmental pollution by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and with a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to investigate the concentration of PCBs congeners in serum, liver and adipose tissue of patients with HCC living in this area. We enrolled prospectively 101 HCC incident cases. Lipid-adjusted PCBs concentration of single congeners and total PCBs concentration, computed as the sum of 24 PCBs congeners, were measured in the serum of all subjects and in the liver and abdominal fat of 59 HCC cases undergoing surgery. A high correlation was found between PCBs serum and liver (Spearman r=0.79), serum and fat (r=0.91), and liver and fat (r=0.75) concentrations. Serum PCBs concentration in HCC patients did not vary according to demographical, clinical or epidemiological variables, apart from age, as PCBs concentration increased linearly with the subject's age. This study confirms that serum lipid-adjusted PCBs concentration is a valid measure of PCBs body storage and is highly correlated with PCBs concentration detected in other biological samples.
authors: Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy. zani@med.unibs.it
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Zani
authors: Umberto
authors: U
authors: Gelatti
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Donato
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Capelli
authors: Nazario
authors: N
authors: Portolani
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Bergonzi
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Apostoli
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls