Gomula Aleksandra, Nowak-Szczepanska Natalia, Sebastjan Anna, Kozieł Sławomir M, Malina Robert M, Ignasiak Zofia
Department of Anthropology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
Department of Biostructure, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland.
Biology (Basel). 2022 Apr 12;11(4):584. doi: 10.3390/biology11040584.
Lead negatively affects human growth and development. In this research, we aimed to assess the effect of elevated blood lead level on age at menarche (AM), controlling for body mass index (BMI) and estimated fatness. The sample included 490 girls aged 7−16 examined in Polkowice town (Copper Basin, Poland) in 2008. Measurements included height, weight, skinfold thicknesses and estimated percentage of body fat. AM was assessed using the status quo method. Blood samples were taken for lead level assessment. Two groups were defined based on the median blood lead level for the total sample of children (3.7 µg/dL). Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between AM and independent variables. The results indicated that menarche in the higher blood lead level group was significantly later compared to the lower blood lead level group (p < 0.01). This relationship remained only marginally significant when BMI (p < 0.10), sum of skinfolds (p < 0.09) or percentage of fat (p < 0.08) were controlled. The results revealed that a lower blood lead level (3.7 µg/dL) than the currently acceptable threshold (5 µg/dL) is related to a later AM; however, this relationship is moderated by body fatness, which may decrease its significance.
铅对人类生长发育有负面影响。在本研究中，我们旨在评估血铅水平升高对初潮年龄（AM）的影响，并对体重指数（BMI）和估计的肥胖程度进行控制。样本包括2008年在波兰铜盆地波尔科维采镇接受检查的490名7至16岁女孩。测量项目包括身高、体重、皮褶厚度和估计的体脂百分比。采用现状法评估初潮年龄。采集血样进行铅水平评估。根据儿童总样本的血铅水平中位数（3.7微克/分升）定义了两组。使用逻辑回归模型评估初潮年龄与自变量之间的关联。结果表明，血铅水平较高组的初潮明显晚于血铅水平较低组（p<0.01）。当对BMI（p<0.10）、皮褶总和（p<0.09）或脂肪百分比（p<0.08）进行控制时，这种关系仅略微显著。结果显示，低于当前可接受阈值（5微克/分升）的较低血铅水平（3.7微克/分升）与较晚的初潮年龄有关；然而，这种关系受身体肥胖程度的调节，这可能会降低其显著性。
