Diabetes in Relation to Serum Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Chlorinated Pesticides in Adult Native Americans
Author:
Neculai Codru, Maria J. Schymura, Serban Negoita, The Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment, Robert Rej, and David O. Carpenter
Date Published:
10/2007
Description:
BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that diabetes, a condition whose incidence is increasing, is
associated with exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides.
OBJECTIVES: We investigated the potential association between diabetes and serum levels of PCBs,
dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and mirex in a cross-sectional
study of an adult Native-American (Mohawk) population.
METHODS: Through a standardized questionnaire we collected demographic, medical, and lifestyle
information from 352 adults, ≥ 30 years of age. We collected fasting serum samples that were analyzed
for 101 PCB congeners, DDE, HCB, and mirex along with fasting glucose, triglycerides,
and cholesterol. Participants who had fasting-glucose values > 125 mg/dL and/or who were taking
antidiabetic medication were defined as persons with diabetes. We conducted logistic regression to
assess the potential association between organochlorine serum levels and diabetes, while controlling
for the potential confounding variables of age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, sex, and
serum lipid levels. Organochlorine serum levels were categorized in tertiles, and the lowest tertile
was used as the reference category.
RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes was 20.2%. The odds ratio (OR) of having diabetes for participants
in the highest tertile of total PCB concentration compared with the lowest tertile was 3.9 (95% confidence interval, 1.5–10.6). The corresponding ORs for DDE and HCB were even higher. Elevated serum mirex was not associated with diabetes. After adjustment for other analytes, the OR for HCB remained significant, whereas ORs for PCBs and DDE remained elevated but not statistically significant. In contrast, after adjustment for other analytes, the OR for mirex became statistically significant and indicated an inverse association.
CONCLUSIONS: In this study of adult Native Americans, elevated serum PCBs, DDE, and HCB were positively associated with diabetes after controlling for potential confounders, whereas a negative association was observed for mirex.
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