Brominated Flame Retardants: Multigenerational Endocrine Disruption?

描述（由研究者提供）：在非专业人士和科学界中，各种合成化学品在体外和野生动物种群中显示出激素或抗激素特性，通过干扰正常的内分泌功能对人类造成不良健康影响，这引起了人们的担忧。许多结构相似的卤代有机物属于这一类。由于这些化学品广泛存在于环境中，并在人体和动物组织中积累，因此任何与不良健康影响的联系都可能对公共卫生产生深远影响。密歇根州的多溴联苯群组包括因工业事故而接触溴化阻燃剂的4，000多人，并已成功跟踪了近30年。这一队列提供了一个独特的机会，以确定接触卤化有机物是否与内分泌干扰有关，并评估跨代的影响。在流行病学的伟大传统中，我们试图从一个不幸的“自然”实验中尽可能多地学习。该申请遵循了由同一研究团队在队列成员中进行的两项内分泌敏感终点的先前研究。在拟议的研究中，我们专注于队列成员的后代，我们发现了内分泌干扰的最大证据。具体目标1继续我们对男性子宫内暴露后果的评估。我们以前发现，高度暴露的妇女的儿子经历了生殖泌尿系统疾病的风险增加，生长和青春期发育较慢。具体目标2涉及女性后代中的内分泌敏感终点，因为有证据表明，高暴露的女孩初潮年龄较早，流产风险增加。在具体目标3中，我们试图描述溴化阻燃剂的跨代转移，具体目标4是探索跨学科方法，以了解多代内分泌干扰和基因/环境相互作用的生物机制。 公共卫生相关性：溴化阻燃剂在现代环境中无处不在，但长期暴露于人类的后果尚不清楚。对密歇根州多溴联苯群体（他们因一次不幸的工业事故而接触溴化阻燃剂）及其子女的健康状况进行研究，可以提供有关接触可能破坏几代人内分泌系统的化学品的重要信息。对这一独特而专门的群组的研究结果可能会带来关于溴化阻燃剂和目前仍在生产的其他相关化学品对健康影响的重要信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): Concerns have been raised in the lay and scientific communities that various synthetic chemicals showing hormonal or anti-hormonal properties in vitro and in wildlife populations are causing adverse health effects in humans by interfering with normal endocrine function. A number of the structurally similar halogenated organics belong to this category. Because these chemicals are widespread in the environment and accumulate in human and animal tissues, any associations with adverse health effects could have far reaching public health implications. The Michigan PBB cohort consists of over 4,000 individuals exposed to brominated flame retardants as the result of an industrial accident and has been successfully followed for nearly thirty years. This cohort presents a unique opportunity to determine whether exposure to halogenated organics is associated with endocrine disruption and to evaluate the impact across generations. In the grand tradition of epidemiology we seek to learn as much as we can from an unfortunate "natural" experiment. This applications follows two previous studies of endocrine sensitive endpoints among cohort members conducted by the same team of investigators. In the proposed study we focus on the offspring of cohort members where we have found the greatest evidence of endocrine disruption. Specific Aim 1 continues our assessment of the consequences of in utero exposure among males. We previously found that sons of highly exposed women experienced an increased risk of genitourinary conditions and slower growth and pubertal development. Specific Aim 2 addresses endocrine-sensitive endpoints among female offspring following evidence that highly exposed girls have an earlier age at menarche and an increased risk of miscarriages. In Specific Aim 3 we seek to characterize the cross-generational transfer of brominated flame retardants and Specific Aim 4 is an exploration of interdisciplinary approaches to understand biological mechanisms of multi-generational endocrine disruption and gene/environmental interactions. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Brominated flame retardants are ubiquitous in the modern environment however the consequences of chronic exposure to humans are unclear. Studying the health of the Michigan PBB cohort (who were exposed to brominated flame retardants through an unfortunate industrial accident) and their children provides important information regarding exposure to chemicals that may disrupt the endocrine system across generations. Findings from the study of this unique and dedicated cohort may lead to important information about the health effects of brominated flame retardants and other related chemicals that are still in production today.