title: A birth cohort study to investigate the association between prenatal phthalate and bisphenol A exposures and fetal markers of metabolic dysfunction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity and type-2 diabetes are on the rise and in utero exposure to environmental contaminants is a suspected contributing factor. Our objective was to examine associations between prenatal exposure to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals and markers of fetal metabolic dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study (MIREC) recruited 2001 women during the first trimester of pregnancy from 10 Canadian sites. First trimester maternal urine was measured for 11 phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A (BPA). Leptin and adioponectin measured in 1,363 available umbilical cord blood samples served as markers of metabolic function. Restricted cubic spline curves were used to assess the relationship between continuous measures of phthalate and BPA levels and cord blood adipokines. Polytomous logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between phthalates and BPA and both high (≥90th percentile) and low (≤10th percentile) fetal adiponectin and leptin, adjusting for confounding factors. Analyses were conducted for all subjects, overall, and separately by fetal sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leptin was significantly higher in female than male infants. We observed an inverse, non-linear relationship between BPA and adiponectin among males in the restricted cubic spline and linear regression analysis. Mono-(3-carboxypropyl) (MCPP) was associated with increased odds of high leptin among males in the polytomous logistic regression models (4th quartile OR = 3.5 95% CI: 1.1-11.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence examining the influence of early life exposure on metabolic regulation and function. Associations between maternal exposure to chemicals and markers of metabolic function appear to be potentially sex specific. However, further investigation is required to determine whether in utero and childhood exposure to BPA and phthalates are associated with metabolic dysfunctions later in life.
authors.forename: Jillian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashley-Martin
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Epidemiology Research Unit, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. l.dodds@dal.ca.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dodds
authors.forename: Tye E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Arbuckle
authors.forename: Adrienne S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ettinger
authors.forename: Gabriel D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Morisset
authors.forename: Shayne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taback
authors.forename: Maryse F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Bouchard
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monnier
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dallaire
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D015331:Cohort Studies; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010636:Phenols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D055815:Young Adult; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D015415:Biomarkers; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D020738:Leptin; D010636:Phenols; D010795:Phthalic Acids; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds