Phthalate metabolites in maternal and cord plasma and their relations to other selected endocrine disruptors and steroids.

摘要

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are known to have harmful effects onthe human endocrine system; special effort is actually given tothe exposure during pregnancy. Humans are usually exposed toa mixture of EDs, which may potentiate or antagonize eachother, and the combined effect may be difficult to estimate.The main phthalate monoesters monoethyl-, mono-n -butyl-,monoisobutyl-, monobenzyl-, mono-(2-ethylhexyl)-, mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl)- and mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalatewere determined in 18 maternal (37th week of pregnancy) andcord plasma samples using liquid chromatography-tandemmass spectrometry. Previously determined levels of selectedbisphenols, parabens and steroids were also considered in thisstudy. In cord blood, there were significantly higher mono-n -butyl phthalate levels than in maternal blood (p=0.043). Theresults of multiple regression models showed that maternalplasma phthalates were negatively associated with cord plasmaandrostenedione, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone andpositively associated with estradiol and estriol. For estriol,a cumulative association was also observed for Σbisphenols. Tothe best of our knowledge, this is the first pilot study evaluatingthe effect of prenatal exposure by multiple EDs on newbornsteroidogenesis. Our results confirmed phthalate accumulation inthe fetal area and disruption of fetal steroidogenesis. Thispreliminary study highlights the negative impacts of in uteroEDs exposure on fetal steroidogenesis.