Details:

Alternative Title:
Int J Hyg Environ Health
Publisher's site:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113691
Personal Author:
Phillips, Simone; Suarez-Torres, Jose; Checkoway, Harvey; Lopez-Paredes, Dolores; Gahagan, Sheila; ... More +
Phillips, Simone; Suarez-Torres, Jose; Checkoway, Harvey; Lopez-Paredes, Dolores; Gahagan, Sheila; Suarez-Lopez, Jose Ricardo; Less -
Description:
Background: Organophosphates are frequently applied insecticides that inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity resulting in cholinergic overstimulation. Limited evidence suggests that organophosphates may alter thyroid hormone levels, although studies have yielded inconsistent findings. We aimed to test the associations between AChE activity, a physiological marker of organophosphate exposure, and thyroid function in adolescents. Methods: We included information of 80 adolescent participants (ages 12–17y in 2016, 53% male) growing up in agricultural settings in Ecuador. We measured fingerstick erythrocytic AChE activity and hemoglobin concentration, and concurrent serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free-T4 (fT4) concentrations. General linear models were used to test associations adjusting for demographic and anthropometric variables. TSH associations were further adjusted for fT4. Results: The mean (SD) AChE, TSH and fT4 levels were 3.77 U/mL (0.55), 2.82 μIU/ml (1.49) and 1.11 ng/dl (0.13), respectively. Lower AChE activity, indicating greater organophosphate exposure, was marginally associated with greater fT4 concentrations (difference per SD decrease in AChE activity (β)=0.03 ng/dL, [90% CI: 0.00, 0.06]) but not with TSH (β=−0.01 μIU/ml, [−0.38, 0.36]). Gender modified the AChE-TSH association (p=0.03). In girls, lower AChE activity was associated with higher fT4 levels (β=0.05 ng/dL [0.01, 0.10]) and lower TSH concentrations (β= −0.51 μIU/ml, [−1.00, −0.023]). No associations were observed in boys. Discussion: These cross-sectional findings suggest that alterations in the cholinergic system from organophosphate exposures can increase fT4 levels coupled with a beyond-compensatory downregulation of TSH in female adolescents. This is the first study to characterize these associations in adolescents.
Subject:
[+]
Acetylcholinesterase
Adolescent
Agriculture
Article
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ecuador
Endocrine
Female
Humans
Insecticides
Male
Organophosphate
Organophosphates
Pesticide
Pesticides
Thyroid
Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Hormones
Thyrotropin
Thyroxine

Source:
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 233:113691;
Pubmed ID:
33581413
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC7965258
Document Type:
Journal Article;
Funding:
R01 ES025792/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/; R01 ES030378/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/; R21 ES026084/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/; R36 OH009402/OH/NIOSH CDC HHSUnited States/;
R01 ES025792/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/; R01 ES030378/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/; R21 ES026084/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/; R36 OH009402/OH/NIOSH CDC HHSUnited States/; Less -
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:39897b278d65f251be8548f3655a43775f2834a0adb319aa8b306f6291f72cd9
File Type:

Supporting Files

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