Epidemiologic Evidence for a New Class of Compounds Associated with Toxic Oil Syndrome

Abstract

I studied whether changing a partner, and thus changing the likelihood of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) sharing between mating partners, affects the risk of preterm delivery in the subsequent pregnancy. I identified a total of 128,239 women who had two consecutive births during 1989-1991 through data linkage of the California birth certificates. Paternal date of birth and names on the records of the two consecutive births were compared to determine whether the same father was reported on both records. Three cohorts of women were formed on the basis of the gestational age of their first delivery: <34, 34-36, and >36 weeks. If parental HLA sharing is associated with preterm delivery, the likelihood of HLA sharing was expected to be in a decreasing order from most likely among a <34-week cohort to least likely among a >36-week cohort. Among women in the <34-week cohort, changing partners resulted in a 33% reduction in the risk of early preterm delivery in the subsequent pregnancy compared with those who did not change partners [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.52-0.88]. In contrast, among women in the >36-week cohort, changing partners led to a 16% increase in the risk of early preterm delivery in the subsequent pregnancy (95% CI = 1.04-1.30). Among women in the 34-36-week cohort, changing partners did not affect the risk of preterm delivery (95% CI = 0.78-1.25). These estimates were adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity, age, educational level, prenatal smoking, prenatal care, parity, and interval from birth to conception of the subsequent pregnancy. The findings from this study suggest that the effect of changing paternity depends on the pregnancy outcome with the previous partner and support the hypothesis that parental HLA sharing may be related to preterm delivery.

Risk of recurrent preterm birth among women according to change in partner

“…(8) However, our study’s findings must be interpreted while being mindful of its limitations. The study’s administrative database did not allow for verification of paternity, but instead relied on the name and date of birth of the father listed on the birth certificate.…”

“…(3–10) There is a well-established literature indicating change in partners as a risk factor for preeclampsia,(3–7) while the research on the risk of preterm birth after a change in partners has been sparse and findings have been inconsistent. (3, 5, 8, 9) Studying pregnancy outcomes for women who change partners is complex, due to the many potential confounding factors that distinguish women who change partners from those who do not. Notable factors include maternal age, race/ethnicity, psychosocial and sociodemographic influences, interpregnancy interval and underlying medical conditions.…”

“…(14, 15) Additionally, paternal human leukocyte antigen (HLA) sharing has been suggested to have an influence on risk of preterm birth. (8, 15) Other mechanisms may be psychosocial such as increased level of stress, reduced support, or change in financial status or social capital. (3)…”

Toxic Oil Syndrome: The Perspective after 20 Years

“…Analyses using laboratory techniques not available in 1981 of oil samples from the case-control studies mentioned above, as well as analysis of oils from implicated refineries, have established that 3-(7v*-phenylamino)-l,2-propanediol (DEPAP) is a better marker of case oils than is oleyl anilide. These analyses also show that the presence of DEPAP and related compounds in oil is an equally sensitive but more specific correlate of case relatedness of an oil than is the presence of fatty acid anilides (26). Furthermore, DEPAP has been found in samples from the ITH refinery in Seville, some of whose workers became ill from consuming oil from the same lots implicated in the epidemic (21) and the only refinery whose oil was clearly associated with illness; DEPAP has not been found in anilide-containing oils sold in other parts of Spain that did not cause illness.…”

On‐Line HPLC‐UV‐mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry for the rapid delineation and characterization of differences in complex mixtures: a case study using toxic oil variants

“…Researchers have determined that there exists a strong link between increased concentrations of fatty acid anilides in the oils and the risk of disease (Kilbourne et al, 1988;Posada de la Paz et al, 1994). Similarly, the formation of fatty acid esters of 3-(Nphenylamino)-1,2-propanediol (PAP esters) in general (Hill et al, 1995) and specifically the formation of the 1,2-di-oleyl ester of 3-(N-phenylamino)-1,2-propanediol (DPAP) has been strongly linked to the illness (Posada de la Paz et al, 1999). However, the causative agent of TOS remains completely unknown (Philen and Posada, 1993).…”