title: Blood metal levels and third trimester maternal plasma matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).
abstract: While it is known that in utero exposure to environmental toxicants, namely heavy metals, can adversely affect the neonate, there remains a significant paucity of information on maternal biological changes specific to metal exposures during pregnancy. This study aims at identifying associations between maternal metal exposures and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that are known to be engaged in pregnancy process. Third trimester maternal plasma (n = 1533) from a pregnancy cohort (Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study, MIREC) were analyzed for MMP-1,-2,-7,-9 and -10 by affinity-based multiplex protein array analyses. Maternal metal concentrations (mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic and manganese) in 1st and 3rd trimesters exhibited strong correlations (p < 0.05). Multivariate regression models were used to estimate odds ratio (OR) for the association between metal concentrations in quartiles and high (90%) and low (10%) maternal MMP levels. Significant (p < 0.05) metal exposure-related effects were observed with the different MMP isoform responses. MMP profiles were specific to the trimester at which the maternal blood metals were analyzed. Our findings suggest that the profiles of these MMP isoforms vary with the type of metal exposure, blood metal concentrations and the trimester at which metal levels were determined. These new findings on maternal metal-MMP relationships can guide future explorations on toxicity mechanisms relevant to metal exposure-mediated adverse birth outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Au
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bielecki
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blais
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Sabit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cakmak
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Ajoy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basak
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Tye E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Arbuckle
authors.affiliation: Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Electronic address: premkumari.kumarathasan@hc-sc.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Prem
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumarathasan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000097:blood; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D008345:Manganese / Q000097:blood; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000097:blood*; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008345:Manganese; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Birth cohort; Maternal biomarkers; Matrix metalloproteinases; Metals