Collaborative Research and Action: Empowering an Exposed Community

项目概要/摘要： 密歇根州多溴联苯登记处的建立是为了研究数千名接触多溴联苯的人的健康状况。 这是美国历史上最大的农业灾难。之前的研究 该研究小组已经表明，暴露于多溴联苯（PBB）会对健康产生重大影响。 包括月经初潮提前、流产风险增加和女性雌激素水平降低等， 男性的泌尿生殖问题。在过去的几年里，埃默里大学的研究人员进行了20多项研究， 整个密歇根州的社区会议，与社区合作伙伴合作，分享研究成果 与社区合作，回应社区的需求，并为未来的研究计划寻求社区的投入。 这项由科学家、社区合作伙伴和公共卫生官员共同开发的拟议研究， 解决了多溴联苯界表达的几个主要关切。具体而言，受影响的个人 表示有兴趣寻求一种可能的治疗方法，将多溴联苯从他们的身体中去除， 多溴联苯对他们的子孙后代的影响， 生殖，以及当地卫生保健提供者似乎不知道全州范围内的多溴联苯暴露的沮丧 和/或其可能的健康影响。为了解决这些问题，拟议的研究有四个具体目标。的 首先是评估营养援助作为加速消除多溴联苯的潜在手段的效用， 进行随机双盲临床试验。第二个目标将探讨遗传性的变化， 通过研究三代家庭，确定与多溴联苯接触有关的表观基因组。表观基因组 父母，他们的孩子和他们的孙子将被检查，以确定是否表观遗传模式， 与父母直接接触多溴联苯有关的风险在子女和孙辈中很明显。瞄准三 将解决社区对生殖结果以外的其他健康影响的关切。 参与者将填写健康问卷，并提供血清样本进行分析，以确定多溴联苯是否 暴露与神经退行性疾病、关节疼痛/紊乱、癌症、免疫功能和 肝脏/胰腺问题。如果任何自我确定的不良后果与多溴联苯接触有关， 将寻求更多的资金，以进一步探讨这些联系。最后，公共卫生行动计划将 提高密歇根州的环境健康意识。将制定教育方案， 卫生保健提供者、政策制定者和公民，以提高当地解决暴露问题的能力。

Project Summary/Abstract: The Michigan PBB Registry was established in order to study the health of thousands of people exposed to brominated flame retardants as a result of the largest agricultural disaster in US history. Previous research by this team has shown significant health effects associated with exposure to polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) including earlier menarche, increased risk of miscarriages and lower estrogen levels among women, and more urogenital problems among men. Over the past few years, Emory researchers have conducted over two dozen community meetings throughout Michigan, collaborated with community partners, shared research findings with the community, responded to community needs, and sought community input for future research plans. This proposed study, collaboratively developed by scientists, community partners, and public health officials, addresses several major concerns expressed by the PBB community. Specifically, affected individuals have expressed interest in a possible treatment to remove PBBs from their bodies, concern about heritable effects from PBB on their children and grandchildren, continuing health concerns beyond those related to reproduction, and frustration that local health-care providers seem unaware of the statewide PBB exposure and/or its possible health effects. To address these concerns, the proposed study has four specific aims. The first is to evaluate the utility of a nutritional aid as a potential means of accelerating the elimination of PBB by conducting a randomized double-blind clinical trial. The second aim will explore the heritability of changes in the epigenome associated with PBB exposure by studying families across three generations. The epigenome of parents, their children, and their grandchildren will be examined to determine if epigenetic patterns associated with direct exposure to PBB of parents are apparent in the children and grandchildren. Aim three will address community concerns regarding additional health effects beyond reproductive outcomes. Participants will complete health questionnaires and provide serum samples for analysis to determine if PBB exposure is associated with neurodegenerative diseases, joint pain/disorder, cancer, immune function and liver/pancreatic problems. If any of the self-identified adverse outcomes are associated with PBB exposure, additional funding will be sought to further explore these associations. Finally, the public health action plan will seek to raise environmental health awareness in Michigan. Educational programs will be developed for healthcare providers, policy-makers, and citizens to increase local capacity to address exposure concerns.