Prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure in relation to placental corticotropin releasing hormone (pCRH) in the CANDLE pregnancy cohort

• Authors: Emily S Barrett, Rutgers State University; Tomomi Workman, University of Washington; Marnie F Hazlehurst, University of Washington; Sophie Kauderer, Rutgers State Univ; Christine Loftus, University of Washington; Kurunthachalam Kannan, New York University; Morgan Robinson, New York University; Alicia Smith, Emory University; Roger Smith, University of Newcastle; Qi Zhao, University of Tennessee Health Science Center; Kaja Z LeWinn, University of California San Francisco; Sheela Sathyanarayana, University of Washington; Nicole R Bush, University of California San Francisco
• Journal Title: FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
• Volume: Volume 13
• Publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA | 2022-11-11, Pages 1011689-1011689
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.1011689
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Endocrinology & Metabolism; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; pregnancy; endocrine disruption; hormones; placenta; corticotropin releasing hormone; PYRENE EXPOSURE; PRETERM BIRTH; CRH; ASSOCIATION; METABOLITES; CHILDHOOD; STRESS; PLASMA; RISK; DIFFERENTIATION

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting combustion by-products that have been linked to preterm birth. One possible mechanism is through disruption of placental corticotropin releasing hormone (pCRH), a key hormone implicated in parturition. As an extension of recent research identifying pCRH as a potential target of endocrine disruption, we examined maternal PAH exposure in relation to pCRH in a large, diverse sample. Participants, drawn from the CANDLE cohort, part of the ECHO-PATHWAYS Consortium, completed study visits at 16-29 weeks (V1) and 22-39 weeks (V2) gestation (n=812). Seven urinary mono-hydroxylated PAH metabolites (OH-PAHs) were measured at V1 and serum pCRH at V1 and V2. Associations between individual log-transformed OH-PAHs (as well as two summed PAH measures) and log(pCRH) concentrations across visits were estimated using mixed effects models. Minimally-adjusted models included gestational age and urinary specific gravity, while fully-adjusted models also included sociodemographic characteristics. We additionally evaluated effect modification by pregnancy complications, fetal sex, and maternal childhood trauma history. We observed associations between 2-OH-Phenanthrene (2-OH-PHEN) and rate of pCRH change that persisted in fully adjusted models (β=0.0009, 0.00006, 0.0017), however, positive associations with other metabolites (most notably 3-OH-Phenanthrene and 1-Hydroxypyrene) were attenuated after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics. Associations tended to be stronger at V1 compared to V2 and we observed no evidence of effect modification by pregnancy complications, fetal sex, or maternal childhood trauma history. In conclusion, we observed modest evidence of association between OH-PAHs, most notably 2-OH-PHEN, and pCRH in this sample. Additional research using serial measures of PAH exposure is warranted, as is investigation of alternative mechanisms that may link PAHs and timing of birth, such as inflammatory, epigenetic, or oxidative stress pathways.