title: Association of serum concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and risk of pre-eclampsia: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is increasing evidence that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may contribute to pre-eclampsia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) as POPs with pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was performed in the three general university hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Serum samples were collected from cases (n= 45) who had diagnosed with preeclampsia and from control samples (n= 70) with normal pregnancy and attended the same hospital for a routine prenatal visit at the third trimester of pregnancy. Pollutants levels were analyzed by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean participant age was 27.3 ± 5.39 with median 27. As the main independent variable, total POPs manifested with adjusted OR equal to 1.54 (95 % CI: 1.26-1.87,p-value <0.0001), which was significantly associated with pre-eclampsia. The adjusted OR proved a statistically significant association between total PCBs 1.77 (95 % CI: 1.34-2.32) and total PBDEs (OR = 2.19; 95 % CI: 1.39-3.45,p-value = 0.001) with pre-eclampsia considering confounding variables (maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational age, weight gain during pregnancy and total lipids in maternal serum). Finally, pre-pregnancy BMI and weight gain during pregnancy had a positive association with pre-eclampsia and gestational age yielded a negative association with pre-eclampsia in all analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate the association between total POPs, total PBDEs, and total PCBs with pre-eclampsia, even after controlling for the effects of a number of potentially confounding factors. Further investigation about route of exposure and the trend of POPs especially in pregnant women is needed.
authors.affiliation: Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eslami
authors.affiliation: Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malekafzali
authors.affiliation: Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 8th Floor, No. 1547, North Kargar Ave., Enghelab Square, Tehran, I.R. Iran.
authors.forename: Noushin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rastkari
authors.affiliation: Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Batool Hossein
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Rashidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abolghasem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Djazayeri
authors.affiliation: Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 8th Floor, No. 1547, North Kargar Ave., Enghelab Square, Tehran, I.R. Iran.
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naddafi
keywords: Case–control study; Persistent Organic pollutants (POPs); Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs); Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs); Pre-eclampsia