Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.
Health Authority of the City and Area of Aachen, Trierer Straße 1, 52070 Aachen, Germany.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jun 30;17(13):4708. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17134708.
Multiple pathological associations are attributed to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Research shows a positive association of PCBs with dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) concentration but the results on the stress hormone cortisol have been inconsistent so far. This study is the first to examine not only the cross-sectional but also the longitudinal effects of PCB exposure on the stress hormones DHEAS and cortisol. Over a period of three years, 112 former employees occupationally exposed to PCBs were tested for their body burden with different types of PCBs (lower and higher chlorinated, dioxin-like and hydroxylated) and for their stress hormone concentration. Highly exposed employees showed a significantly higher risk for higher DHEAS values. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between the exposure to lower chlorinated PCBs and DHEAS. Mixed models also revealed a significantly positive correlation between lower chlorinated PCBs with DHEAS when controlled for a cross-section. However, an effect for cortisol was not found. These results suggest a causal pathophysiological relationship between PCB exposure and DHEAS concentration, but not with cortisol. The health consequences of high DHEAS concentrations are discussed.
多氯联苯（PCBs）与多种病理学关联有关。研究表明，PCBs 与脱氢表雄酮硫酸酯（DHEAS）浓度呈正相关，但迄今为止，关于应激激素皮质醇的结果一直不一致。这项研究首次不仅检查了 PCB 暴露对 DHEAS 和皮质醇这两种应激激素的横断面影响，还检查了其纵向影响。在三年的时间里，对 112 名曾接触过 PCBs 的职业暴露员工进行了不同类型的 PCBs（低氯和高氯、类二噁英和羟基化）的身体负荷以及应激激素浓度检测。高暴露员工的 DHEAS 值明显更高。多元线性回归分析显示，低氯代 PCBs 暴露与 DHEAS 呈正相关。混合模型还表明，在控制横断面时，低氯代 PCBs 与 DHEAS 之间存在显著的正相关关系。但没有发现皮质醇的影响。这些结果表明 PCB 暴露与 DHEAS 浓度之间存在因果病理生理关系，但与皮质醇无关。还讨论了 DHEAS 浓度升高的健康后果。
