Diabetes Prevalence in Relation to Serum Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Congener Groups and Three Chlorinated Pesticides in a Native American Population
Background: Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is known to increase risk of diabetes.
Objective: To determine which POPs are most associated with prevalence of diabetes in 601 Akwesasne Native Americans.
Methods: Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between quartiles of concentrations of 101 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) congeners, congener groups and three chlorinated pesticides [dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and mirex] with diabetes. In Model 1, the relationship between quartiles of exposure and diabetes were adjusted only for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and total serum lipids. Model 2 included additional adjustment for either total PCBs or total pesticides.
Results: Total serum PCB and pesticide concentrations were each significantly associated with prevalence of diabetes when adjusted only for covariates (Model 1), but neither showed a significant OR for highest to lowest quartiles after additional adjustment for the other (Model 2). When applying Model 2 to PCB congener groups and individual pesticides, there were significant omnibus differences between the four quartiles (all ps < 0.042) for most groups, with the exception of penta- and hexachlorobiphenyls, DDE and mirex. However, when comparing highest to lowest quartiles only non- and mono-ortho PCBs [OR = 4.55 (95% CI: 1.48, 13.95)], tri- and tetrachloro PCBs [OR = 3.66 (95% CI: 1.37, –9.78)] and HCB [OR = 2.64 (95% CI: 1.05, 6.61)] showed significant associations with diabetes. Among the non- and mono-ortho congeners, highest to lowest quartile of dioxin TEQs was not significant [OR = 1.82 (95% CI: 0.61, 5.40)] but the OR for the non-dioxin-like congeners was [OR = 5.01 (95% CI: 1.76, 14.24)].
Conclusion: The associations with diabetes after adjustment for other POPs were strongest with the more volatile, non-dioxin-like, low-chlorinated PCB congeners and HCB. Because low-chlorinated congeners are more volatile, these observations suggest that inhalation of vapor-phase PCBs is an important route of exposure.
1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, and 2Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), Rensselaer, New York, USA; 3Department of Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, New York, USA; 4Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health and Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY, Rensselaer, New York, USA; 5Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY, Rensselaer, New York, USA; 6Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, Hogansburg, New York, USA
Recommended Citation:
Zafar Aminov,1,2 Richard Haase,et al. Diabetes Prevalence in Relation to Serum Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Congener Groups and Three Chlorinated Pesticides in a Native American Population[J]. Environmental Health Perspectives,2016-01-01,Volume 124(Issue 9):1376