Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 10, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Sci Total Environ. 2010 Nov 1;408(23):5744-9. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.07.079. Epub 2010 Sep 9.
The heavy metals lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with high neurotoxic potential. We aimed to compare perinatal Pb and Hg concentrations and to explore the potential association between Pb and Hg exposure and newborn anthropometry.
Pregnant women were recruited in 2005 at the General Hospital Vienna for participation in this longitudinal study. Pb and Hg concentrations were measured in maternal blood and hair, placenta, cord blood, meconium, and breast milk of 53 mother-child pairs by CV-AAS, GF-AAS, and HPLC-CV-ICPMS. We conducted bivariate analyses and categorical regression analysis (CATREG) to evaluate the determinants of Pb and Hg exposure, and of infant anthropometry.
Median Pb and total Hg contents were low, i.e., 25 μg/L (maternal blood-Pb), 13 μg/L (cord blood-Pb), 0.7 μg/L (maternal blood-Hg), and 1.1 μg/L (cord blood-Hg). Hg levels in maternal and fetal tissues were frequently correlated (r>0.3, P<0.05, respectively). Regarding Pb, only maternal blood and cord blood concentrations correlated (P=0.043). Cord blood levels indicated higher Hg exposure but lower Pb exposure relative to maternal blood contents. Adjusted CATREG models indicated the significant predictors of birth length (placenta-Pb, gestational length, meconium-Pb), birth weight (placenta-Pb, gestational length, maternal blood-Pb), and head circumference (maternal education, maternal height). Besides one significant correlation between maternal hair Hg and birth length, the mercury levels were not associated with newborn anthropometry.
Our data implicate that different modes of action may exist for placentar transfer of Pb and Hg as well as that low Pb exposure levels can result in lower birth weight. The findings related to newborn anthropometry need to be confirmed by the examination of larger study groups. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms of Pb and Hg transfer via the placenta, and to explore how prenatal Pb exposure is related to intrauterine growth.
重金属铅（Pb）和汞（Hg）是具有高神经毒性的普遍存在的环境污染物。我们旨在比较围产期 Pb 和 Hg 的浓度，并探讨 Pb 和 Hg 暴露与新生儿人体测量学之间的潜在关联。
2005 年，在维也纳总医院招募了孕妇参加这项纵向研究。通过 CV-AAS、GF-AAS 和 HPLC-CV-ICPMS 测量了 53 对母婴的母血和头发、胎盘、脐血、胎粪和母乳中的 Pb 和 Hg 浓度。我们进行了双变量分析和分类回归分析（CATREG），以评估 Pb 和 Hg 暴露的决定因素以及婴儿的人体测量学。
中位数 Pb 和总 Hg 含量较低，分别为 25μg/L（母血-Pb）、13μg/L（脐血-Pb）、0.7μg/L（母血-Hg）和 1.1μg/L（脐血-Hg）。母血和胎儿组织中的 Hg 水平经常相关（r>0.3，P<0.05）。关于 Pb，只有母血和脐血浓度相关（P=0.043）。与母血含量相比，脐血水平表明更高的 Hg 暴露但更低的 Pb 暴露。调整后的 CATREG 模型表明出生长度（胎盘-Pb、妊娠长度、胎粪-Pb）、出生体重（胎盘-Pb、妊娠长度、母血-Pb）和头围（母亲教育、母亲身高）的显著预测因素。除了母发 Hg 与出生长度之间存在显著相关性外，Hg 水平与新生儿人体测量学无关。
我们的数据表明，Pb 和 Hg 胎盘转运可能存在不同的作用模式，并且低水平的 Pb 暴露可能导致出生体重较低。与新生儿人体测量学相关的发现需要通过更大的研究组进行验证。需要进一步研究以阐明 Pb 和 Hg 通过胎盘转运的机制，并探讨产前 Pb 暴露与宫内生长的关系。
