Environmental, Dietary, Maternal, and Fetal Predictors of Bulky DNA Adducts in Cord Blood: A European Mother-Child Study (NewGeneris)

Citation

Pedersen, Marie; Mendez, Michelle A.; Schoket, Bernadette; Godschalk, Roger W.; Espinosa, Ana; Landstrom, Anette; Villanueva, Cristina M.; Merlo, Domenico F.; Fthenou, Eleni; & Gracia-Lavedan, Esther, et al. (2015). Environmental, Dietary, Maternal, and Fetal Predictors of Bulky DNA Adducts in Cord Blood: A European Mother-Child Study (NewGeneris). Environmental Health Perspectives, 123(4), 374-380. PMCID: PMC4383575

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Bulky DNA adducts reflect genotoxic exposures, have been associated with lower birthweight and may predict cancer risk. AIM: We selected factors known or hypothesized to affect in utero adduct formation and repair and examined their associations with adduct levels in neonates.
METHODS: Pregnant women from Greece, Spain, England, Denmark and Norway were recruited in 2006-2010. Cord blood bulky DNA adduct levels were measured by the 32P-postlabelling technique (n=511). Diet and maternal characteristics were assessed via questionnaires. Modeled exposures to air pollutants and drinking-water disinfection by-products, mainly trihalomethanes (THMs) were available for a large proportion of the study population.
RESULTS: Greek and Spanish neonates had higher adduct levels than the Northern European neonates (median: 12.1 (n=179) vs. 6.8 (n=332) adducts per 108 nucleotides, p<0.001). Being from the Southern European countries, higher maternal body mass-index, delivery by Caesarean section, being boy, low maternal intake of fruits rich in vitamin C, high intake of dairy products and low adherence to healthy diet score were statistically significantly associated with higher adduct levels in adjusted models. Air pollution exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with significantly higher adducts in the Danish subsample only. Overall, the pooled results for THMs in water show no evidence of association with adduct levels; however, there are country-specific differences in results with a suggestion of an association in England.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a combination of factors, including unknown country-specific factors, influence the bulky DNA adduct levels in neonates.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408613

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2015

Journal Title

Environmental Health Perspectives

Series Title

M Pedersen et al. Environ Health Perspect 124 (1), A12. Jan 2016. PMID 26720407.

Author(s)

Pedersen, Marie
Mendez, Michelle A.
Schoket, Bernadette
Godschalk, Roger W.
Espinosa, Ana
Landstrom, Anette
Villanueva, Cristina M.
Merlo, Domenico F.
Fthenou, Eleni
Gracia-Lavedan, Esther
van Schooten, Frederik-J.
Hoek, Gerard
Brunborg, Gunnar
Meltzer, Helle Margrete
Alexander, Jan
Nielsen, Jeanette K.
Sunyer, Jordi
Wright, John
Kovacs, Katalin
de Hoogh, Kees
Gutzkow, Kristine B.
Hardie, Laura J.
Chatzi, Leda
Knudsen, Lisbeth E.
Anna, Livia
Ketzel, Matthias
Haugen, Margaretha
Botsivali, Maria
Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.
Cirach, Marta
Toledano, Mireille B.
Smith, Rachel B.
Fleming, Sarah
Agramunt, Silvia
Kyrtopoulos, Soterios A.
Lukacs, Viktoria
Kleinjans, Jos C.
Segerback, Dan
Kogevinas, Manolis

PMCID

PMC4383575