Unit of Toxicology and Environment School of Public Health, University of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment and Health, KU Leuven, Belgium; Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Unit of Toxicology and Environment School of Public Health, University of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2023 Dec;80:127294. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127294. Epub 2023 Aug 26.
Transfer of the trace metal cobalt (Co) from mother to foetus has not been documented in populations with high environmental exposure to Co, as is the case in the African Copperbelt mining region. We analysed data obtained from 246 mother-infant pairs included (at delivery) in a previously published case-control study on birth defects, done in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo) between March 1, 2013, and Feb 28, 2015.
Co was measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry in maternal blood, maternal urine, umbilical cord blood and placental tissue, as available.
The Co concentrations [geometric mean (GM) with interquartile range (IQR)] in maternal blood (GM 1.77 µg/L, IQR 1.07-2.93) and urine (GM 7.42 µg/g creatinine, IQR 4.41-11.0) were highly correlated (Spearman r = 0.71, n = 166; p < 0.001) and considerably higher than reference values determined for general populations elsewhere in the world. The concentrations of Co in umbilical cord blood (GM 2.41 µg/L) were higher (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.001) than in maternal blood (GM 1.37 µg/L), with a correlation between both values (Spearman r = 0.34; n = 127, p < 0.001). Co concentrations in placental tissue (geometric mean 0.02 µg/g wet weight) correlated with concentrations in maternal blood (Spearman r = 0.50, n = 86, p < 0.001) and in neonatal blood (Spearman r = 0.23, n = 83, p = 0.039).
This first study of maternal and neonatal Co concentrations in the African Copperbelt provides strong evidence of a high transfer of Co from mother to foetus.
在环境中钴暴露水平较高的人群中，尚未有母体向胎儿转移痕量金属钴（Co）的相关记录，而非洲铜带矿区就属于这种情况。我们分析了此前发表的一项关于出生缺陷的病例对照研究中的 246 对母婴数据，该研究于 2013 年 3 月 1 日至 2015 年 2 月 28 日在刚果民主共和国的卢本巴希进行。
通过电感耦合等离子体质谱法检测母亲血液、尿液、脐带血和胎盘组织中的 Co 含量（如有）。
母亲血液（几何均数 [GM] 1.77µg/L，四分位距 [IQR] 1.07-2.93）和尿液（GM 7.42µg/g 肌酐，IQR 4.41-11.0）中的 Co 浓度（Spearman r = 0.71，n = 166；p<0.001）高度相关，且远高于在世界其他地区普通人群中确定的参考值。脐带血（GM 2.41µg/L）中的 Co 浓度（Wilcoxon 检验，p<0.001）高于母亲血液（GM 1.37µg/L），两者之间存在相关性（Spearman r = 0.34；n = 127，p<0.001）。胎盘组织中的 Co 浓度（湿重几何均数 0.02µg/g）与母亲血液（Spearman r = 0.50，n = 86，p<0.001）和新生儿血液（Spearman r = 0.23，n = 83，p=0.039）中的 Co 浓度相关。
这是在非洲铜带进行的首次关于母体和新生儿 Co 浓度的研究，为 Co 从母体向胎儿转移提供了有力证据。
