Environmental Contaminants and Reproductive Health of Akwesasne Mohawk Women

该项目由dr。Schell和Carpenter的题为“环境污染物和阿克韦塞内莫霍克妇女的生殖健康”的报告建立在阿克韦塞内莫霍克民族和奥尔巴尼大学之间的合作关系之上，这种合作关系可以追溯到20年前，同时也代表了该中心将重点扩展到奥尔巴尼和阿姆斯特丹以外的地区。这项研究的目的是确定接触多氯联苯、其他持久性有机污染物和铅对20至35岁的莫霍克女性月经周期特征的影响，这些女性居住在阿克韦森内，毗邻一个联邦和两个州的超级基金。本研究将招募180名女性，对她们进行一个月经周期的随访，采集血样、尿样和每日唾液样本，通过日记和问卷调查的方式，调查多氯联苯同系物和其他毒物与月经周期性腺功能、垂体功能等特征的关系。本研究在方法论上有几个创新之处：同时考虑具有内分泌干扰特性的多种毒物，对多氯联苯进行同源特异性分析，以测试与生殖影响有关的结构-功能关系，在对生殖参数的其他共同影响的背景下考虑这些影响，以及应用统计技术和生长曲线分析，充分利用整个周期获得的数据密度。该项目对社区的意义和重要性同样值得注意。表达和重申莫霍克人身份和文化的活动可能会增加对多氯联苯等当地污染物的接触，特别是通过饮食。这项研究的结果不仅对促进良好的生殖健康（对作为一种文化和一个民族的生存至关重要），而且对了解可能与传统上与莫霍克人生活方式有关的活动有关的风险具有重要意义。

The project led by Drs. Schell and Carpenter, entitled "Environmental contaminants and reproductive health of Akwesasne Mohawk women" builds on a collaborative relationship between the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation and the University at Albany reaching back some 20 years, while also representing an expansion of the Center's focus to the region beyond Albany and Amsterdam. The study's objective is to determine the effect of exposure to PCBs, other persistent organic pollutants and lead on characteristics of the menstrual cycle among Mohawk women who are between 20 and 35 years of age and living in Akwesasne, which is adjacent to a federal and two state Superfund sites. The study will enroll 180 women who will be followed through one menstrual cycle with collection of blood, urine and daily saliva samples to investigate the relationship of PCB congeners and other toxicants to gonadal function, pituitary function and other characteristics of the menstrual cycle measured through diaries and questionnaires. This study has several innovative methodological features: the simultaneous consideration of multiple toxicants with endocrine disrupting properties, the congener specific analysis of PCBs for testing structure-function relationships with regard to reproductive effects, the consideration of these effects within the context of other common influences on reproductive parameters, and the application of statistical techniques and growth curve analyses that take full advantage of the density of data obtained throughout the cycle. The project is equally notable for its meaning and salience to the community. Activities that express and reaffirm Mohawk identity and culture may increase exposure to local contaminants such as PCBs, particularly through diet. The findings of this study will have great significance not only for the promotion of good reproductive health (critical to the survival of the nation as a culture and a people) but also for understanding the risk possibly related to activities that have been traditionally associated with Mohawk ways of life. Considerable concern exists over possible effects of endocrine disrupting compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead (Pb) on human reproductive health. Effects on mammalian reproduction are known, but evidence regarding non-occupational exposure to environmental toxicants on parameters related to human fertility is lacking. Reproductive health is of great concern to the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation which is located on the St. Lawrence River. Like many minority communities, Akwesasne is located near a site of major environmental contamination: it is adjacent to a federal and two state Superfund sites. Important local food sources are contaminated, and exposure is perceived as a threat to the community already under pressure of assimilation and dispersal. Good reproductive health is seen as essential to the survival of the nation as a culture and a people. The project builds on a 12 year collaborative relationship between the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation and the University at Albany. This study aims to determine the effects of PCBs, other persistent organic pollutants, and lead (understudied for its endocrine disrupting properties) on characteristics of the menstrual cycle among Mohawk women between the ages of 20 and 35. It will follow 180 women through one menstrual cycle collecting blood, urine and daily saliva samples to investigate the relationship of PCB congeners and other toxicants to: 1) gonadal function as indexed by steroid estradiol and progesterone levels throught the cycle measured in saliva, 2) pituitary function indexed by gonadotropin levels, and 3) other characteristics of the menstrual cycle reported through diary and questionnaire. The project is innovative in its' simultaneous consideration of multiple toxicants with endocrine disrupting properties, the congener specific analysis of PCBs that allows testing structure-function relationships with regard to reproductive effects and the consideration of these effects within the context of other common influences on reproductive parameters (measures of thyroid function, autoimmune disease, overweight, and of physical activity) using standard statsitical methods and growth curve analyses to take full advantage of the density of data obtained throughout the cycle and which have not been applied before in studies of this matter.