Data from: Association of in utero persistent organic pollutant exposure with placental thyroid hormones

In utero exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can result in
thyroid function disorder, leading to concerns about their impact on fetal
and neonatal development. The present study was performed to investigate
the associations between placental levels of various POPs and thyroid
hormones (THs). In a prospective Danish study initially established for
assessing congenital cryptorchidism, 58 placenta samples were collected
from mothers of boys born with (28) and without (30) cryptorchidism. The
concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs),
organotin chemicals (OTCs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), thyroxine
(T4), 3,3’,5-triiodothyronine (T3), and 3,3’,5’-triiodothyronine (rT3)
were measured. The associations between placental THs and various POPs
were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Five PBDEs, 35 PCBs, 14
PCDD/Fs, 3 OTCs, 25 OCPs, T4, T3, and rT3 were measured. No correlation
between THs and the odds of cryptorchidism was found. Several POPs were
significantly associated with THs: a) T4 was inversely associated with
BDEs 99, 100, ΣPBDE, and 2378-TeCDD, and positively associated with
1234678-HpCDF; b) T3 was positively associated with 2378-TeCDF and
12378-PeCDF; c) rT3 was positively associated with PCB 81, 12378-PeCDF and
234678-HxCDF, and inversely associated with tributyltin (TBT), ΣOTC, and
methoxychlor (MOC). These results revealed that POP exposures were
associated with TH levels in placenta, a possible mechanism for the
impacts of POP exposures on children’s growth and development. This study
provides new insight into the complexity of thyroid-disrupting properties
of POPs. More research is needed to elucidate the biological consequences
of POP exposures.