LIFECODES pregnancy cohort

LIFECODES是由Thomas McElrath博士在马萨诸塞州波士顿的布里格姆妇女医院进行的一项持续的预期出生队列研究。这项研究始于2006年，旨在调查与不良妊娠结局相关的环境污染物，分离其潜在的联系机制，并确定可用于预防的预测因素。在这个队列中，有几个研究项目是为了解决更具体的研究问题而存在的。双酚A和邻苯二甲酸盐暴露与胎儿生长和早产的关系(R01ES018872；Pi John Meeker)是为了研究对胎儿生长和早产不利影响的环境风险因素。这项研究测量了2006-2008年LIFECODES队列招募的早产病例和对照组的尿邻苯二甲酸酯代谢物以及炎症、氧化应激和内分泌紊乱的生物标记物。主要研究目标是评估孕妇接触邻苯二甲酸酯和双酚A暴露之间的关系，通过重复超声测量评估，在怀孕期间每个受试者最多四次探视时，与早产和胎儿生长的关系。此外，这项研究试图探索这些关联背后的生物学机制，并确定暴露的易感性窗口。 在NIEHS，我们利用了这些现有的数据，并以几种方式对其进行了补充。首先，作为儿童健康暴露评估资源(CHEAR)项目的一项试点研究，我们分析了上述早产病例对照研究参与者妊娠晚期尿样中的微量金属和代谢组学。该项目的目标是检测每一种微量金属以及金属混合物与以下方面的关系：1)总体早产(分娩和37周妊娠)以及早产亚型(自然和胎盘介导)；2)通过超声测量评估怀孕期间的胎儿发育；以及3)当时也测量的尿氧化应激生物标志物。此外，我们试图检查代谢组学特征作为这些关联的潜在中介。LIFECODES研究下的第二个项目是调查怀孕期间消费品化学品暴露与其对胎儿生长障碍的累积影响之间的关系。 过去几年取得的进展 在上述第一个项目下，今年取得了重大进展。我们研究了尿微量金属与早产和先兆子痫的关系。此外，我们还利用这些数据调查了几个相关问题。在上述第二个项目下，我们已经收集了试点数据，并正在准备一项更大的案例队列研究，以调查我们的研究问题。

LIFECODES is an ongoing prospective birth cohort conducted at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, MA by Dr. Thomas McElrath. Begun in 2006, this study aims to investigate environmental contaminants associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, isolate mechanisms underlying their associations, and identify predictors that can be used for prevention. Within this cohort there are several research projects which exist to address more specific research questions. Bisphenol A and Phthalate Exposure in Relation to Fetal Growth and Preterm Birth (R01ES018872; PI John Meeker) was developed to study environmental risk factors for adverse effects on fetal growth and preterm birth. The study measured urinary phthalate metabolites as well as biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption of cases of preterm birth as well as controls from the LIFECODES cohort recruitment from 2006-2008. The primary research objectives were to assess the relationship between maternal exposure to phthalates and BPA exposure measured at up to four visits per subject during pregnancy in relation to preterm birth as well as fetal growth, as assessed by repeated ultrasound measures. Additionally, the study sought to explore biological mechanisms underlying these associations and identify windows of susceptibility to exposure. At NIEHS we have utilized this existing data and added to it in several ways. First, as a pilot study in the Childrens Health Exposure Assessment Resource (CHEAR) program, we analyzed urinary trace metals as well as metabolomics in urine specimens from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy from the participants of the preterm birth case-control study described above. The objectives of this project were to examine each individual trace metals as well as metal mixtures in relation to: 1) overall preterm birth (delivery <37 weeks gestation) as well as preterm birth subtypes (spontaneous and placentally mediated); 2) fetal growth as assessed by ultrasound measures in pregnancy; and 3) urinary oxidative stress biomarkers that were also measured at that time point. Additionally, we sought to examine metabolomics profiles as potential mediators of these associations. The second project under the LIFECODES study is an investigation of the association between consumer product chemical exposure in pregnancy and their cumulative impact on disorders of fetal growth. Last years progress The major progress this year has been under the first project described above. We investigated associations between urinary trace metals individually as well as in mixtures in association with preterm birth as well as preeclampsia. In addition, we have investigated several related questions using this data. Under the second project described above, we have collected pilot data and are preparing a larger case-cohort study to investigate our research questions.