PCB Congener Profile in the Serum of Humans Consuming Great Lakes Fish

Consumption of sport-caught fish from the Great Lakes is a recognized source of human exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Understanding temporal changes in PCB body burden is crucial for evaluating exposure levels and augmenting validity of studies investigating their relationship to adverse health effects. Using data collected from 1980 to 1995, we evaluated longitudinal changes in serum PCB levels among 179 fisheaters and non-fisheaters of the Michigan Fisheater Cohort. Participants identified as fisheaters in 1980 ate 26 lb or more of sport-caught fish per year, whereas non-fisheaters ate less than 6 lb per year. We found a monotonic decline in serum PCB levels among all participants from a mean value of 24 ppb in 1980 to 12 ppb in 1994. This was paralleled by an 83% decrease in mean fish consumption among all participants over the same period. We combined demographic, lifestyle, and fish consumption information with PCB data and evaluated the data using regression models to identify predictors of PCB body burden over a 16-year period. Results of the mixed-effects linear regression model suggest that consumption of Lake Michigan fish before 1980, amount of sport-caught fish eaten in the past year, age, and year of data collection were significant determinants of current PCB body burden over the 16-year study period. PCB levels were particularly elevated for males who were classified as fisheaters in 1980, which may reflect higher levels of sport-caught fish consumption compared with female fisheaters.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A longitudinal examination of factors related to changes in serum polychlorinated biphenyl levels.

Tee

Sweeney

Symanski

et al. 2003

“…In contrast, findings from a cohort of older participants (≥ 50 years of age in 1992) recently demonstrated that a reduction in current fish consumption was associated with a monotonic decline in PCB levels in blood serum (Tee 2003). Although self-reported fish consumption has substantially declined over time, sport-caught fish intake continues to be one of the key predictors of serum PCB levels Humphrey et al 2000;Tee 2003 breast milk, or adipose tissue in various populations (Dallaire et al 2002;Fitzgerald et al 1999;Hovinga et al 1992;Konishi et al 2001;Noren and Meironyte 2000;Robinson et al 1990;Smith 1999). According to Noren and Meironyte (2000), the level of organochlorine compounds in 1997 was approximately one-tenth of the 1972 level in breast milk from Swedish mothers living in the Stockholm region.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…The level of PCBs in serum sampled from a general population of men and women in Michigan significantly declined from 1979 to 1989 (Humphrey et al 2000); however, levels remained virtually unchanged in sport-caught fish consumers. In contrast, findings from a cohort of older participants (≥ 50 years of age in 1992) recently demonstrated that a reduction in current fish consumption was associated with a monotonic decline in PCB levels in blood serum (Tee 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential exposure to PCBs, DDT, and PBDEs from sport-caught fish consumption in relation to breast cancer risk in Wisconsin.

McElroy¹,

Kanarek²,

Trentham‐Dietz³

et al. 2004

In Wisconsin, consumption of Great Lakes fish is an important source of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and other halogenated hydrocarbons, all of which may act as potential risk factors for breast cancer. We examined the association between sport-caught fish consumption and breast cancer incidence as part of an ongoing population-based case-control study. We identified breast cancer cases 20-69 years of age who were diagnosed in 1998-2000 (n = 1,481) from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System. Female controls of similar age were randomly selected from population lists (n = 1,301). Information about all sport-caught (Great Lakes and other lakes) fish consumption and breast cancer risk factors was obtained through telephone interviews. After adjustment for known and suspected risk factors, the relative risk of breast cancer for women who had recently consumed sport-caught fish was similar to women who had never eaten sport-caught fish [relative risk (RR) = 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-1.17]. Frequency of consumption and location of sport-caught fish were not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Recent consumption of Great Lakes fish was not associated with postmenopausal breast cancer (RR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.57-1.07), whereas risk associated with premenopausal breast cancer was elevated (RR = 1.70; 95% CI, 1.16-2.50). In this study we found no overall association between recent consumption of sport-caught fish and breast cancer, although there may be an increased breast cancer risk for subgroups of women who are young and/or premenopausal.

“…Even though the production of PCBs was banned in 1976 in the United States, there is still great concern about the potential toxic effects of PCBs that have been released into the environment. Recent investigations showed that human populations with a high fish consumption have considerably higher concentrations of PCBs and PCB metabolites in their tissues than control populations (2)(3)(4).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls as inhibitors of the sulfation and glucuronidation of 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene.

Hurk

Kubiczak

Lehmler

et al. 2002

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can be metabolized by cytochromes P450 to hydroxylated biotransformation products. In mammalian studies, some of the hydroxylated products have been shown to be strong inhibitors of steroid sulfotransferases. As a part of ongoing research into the bioavailability of environmental pollutants in catfish intestine, we investigated the effects of a series of hydroxylated PCBs (OH-PCBs) on two conjugating enzymes, phenol-type sulfotransferase and glucuronosyltransferase. We incubated cytosolic and microsomal samples prepared from intestinal mucosa with 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene and appropriate cosubstrates and measured the effect of OH-PCBs on the formation of BaP-3-glucuronide and BaP-3-sulfate. We used PCBs with 4, 5, and 6 chlorine substitutions and the phenolic group in the ortho, meta, and para positions. OH-PCBs with the phenolic group in the ortho position were weak inhibitors of sulfotransferase; the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranged from 330 to 526 microM. When the phenol group was in the meta or para position, the IC50 was much lower (17.8-44.3 microM). The OH-PCBs were more potent inhibitors of glucuronosyltransferase, with IC50s ranging from 1.2 to 36.4 microM. The position of the phenolic group was not related to the inhibitory potency: the two weakest inhibitors of sulfotransferase, with the phenolic group in the ortho position, were 100 times more potent as inhibitors of glucuronosyltransferase. Inhibition of glucuronosyltransferase by low concentrations of OH-PCBs has not been reported before and may have important consequences for the bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of other phenolic environmental contaminants.