Effects of Beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane on Diabetes and Blood Concentration of Lipids

摘要

Introduction: Recent studies suggest that exposure to P-Hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity-related metabolic disorders. A biomonitoring study, conducted on residents in the Sacco Valley (Italy), found high values of β-HCH in people living close to the river, which have been subjected to an epidemiological and health surveillance. Aims: To evaluate the effects of β-HCH serum concentration on diabetes and blood levels of lipids among people living within 1 Km from the Sacco River. Materials and Methods: The outcomes considered were diabetes/prediabetes, fasting plasma glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, body mass index (BMI). Wet-weight concentration of β-HCH (ng/mL) in quartiles was used as the exposure variable. Linear regression analysis was used to study the association with continuous biochemical parameters (log scale) expressed as GMR, and multinomial logistic regression model was used to study the association with categorical outcomes, expressed as OR. Analyses were adjusted for gender, age class, educational level, smoking habits and, according to circumstances, BMI, body weight variation, cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes. Results: 496 subjects were enrolled in the study (90% participation). β-HCH concentration ranged between 0.02 and 8.29 ng/mL. β-HCH was positively associated with triglycerides (GMRβ-HCH＞75°pct =1.19, 95%CI=1.05-1.35; ORhigh=1.32, 95%CI=1.02-1.71) and inversely associated with HDL cholesterol for all categories (GMRβ-HCH＞75°pct=0.86, 95%CI=0.81-0.92; ORlow=1.29, 95%CI=1.02-1.63). There was weak or no evidence of association with the remaining outcomes. Conclusions: Although reverse causation cannot be excluded, the results of this study suggest that environmental exposure to β-HCH may increase the risk of having high total and LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol in the general population.