title: Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Glycaemia and Diabetes in a Population Living in a Highly Polychlorinated Biphenyls-Polluted Area in Northern Italy: a Cross-sectional and Cohort Study.
abstract: CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS: the authors declare no potential conflict of interests.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found to be associated with diabetes in some, but not all, studies performed so far. The aim of this study was to assess the association between PCB serum levels and glycaemia and diabetes in people living in Brescia, a highly industrialised PCB-polluted town in Northern Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  527 subjects were enrolled in a cross-sectional population-based study: they were interviewed face-to-face in 2003 and also provided a blood sample under fasting conditions. The concentration of 24 PCB congeners was determined using gas-chromatography (GC/MS). Subsequently, all subjects were included in a follow-up (cohort) study. According to the Local Health Authority health-care database, subjects were considered to be diabetic if they had diabetes at interview time (prevalent cases) or during a 7-year follow-up (incident cases).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 53 subjects (10.0%) were diabetics: 28 had diabetes at enrolment and other 25 developed the disease subsequently. Diabetes frequency increased according to the serum concentrations of total PCBs and single PCB congeners, but no association was found when estimates were adjusted for education, body mass index, age and gender by logistic regression analysis. Accordingly, glycaemia increased with PCB serum levels, but no association was observed when multiple regression analysis, including confounding factors, was performed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study does not support the hypothesis that PCB environmental exposure is strictly associated with diabetes or glycaemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Applied Medicine, Section of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zani
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Applied Medicine, Section of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donato
authors.affiliation: Brescia Local Health Authority, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Applied Medicine, Section of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feretti
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Applied Medicine, Section of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Covolo
authors.affiliation: Brescia Local Health Authority, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.affiliation: Brescia Local Health Authority, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Speziani
authors.affiliation: Brescia Local Health Authority, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scarcella
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergonzi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene, University of Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Apostoli
keywords: diabetes; glycaemia.; polychlorinated biphenyls