Exposure to Brominated Trihalomethanes in Water During Pregnancy and Micronuclei Frequency in Maternal and Cord Blood Lymphocytes

Background: Water disinfection by-products have been associated with an increased cancer risk. Micronuclei (MN) frequency in lymphocytes is a marker of genomic damage and can predict adult cancer risk.Objective: We evaluated maternal exposure to drinking water brominated trihalomethanes (BTHM) in relation to MN frequency in maternal and cord blood lymphocytes.Methods: MN frequency was examined in 214 mothers and 223 newborns from the Rhea mother–child cohort in Crete, Greece, in 2007–2008. Residential BTHM water concentrations were estimated during pregnancy using tap water analyses and modeling. Questionnaires on water related habits were used to estimate BTHM exposure from all routes. Associations between BTHM and MN frequency were estimated using negative binomial regression.Results: BTHM concentrations in residential tap water during pregnancy ranged from 0.06 to 7.1 μg/L. MN frequency in maternal binucleated lymphocytes was found to increase with BTHM concentrations in residential water for exposure during the first [rate ratio (RR) for 1 μg/L = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.11] and second trimesters (RR for 1 μg/L = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.06), and through all routes of BTHM exposure during the first trimester (RR for 1 μg/week = 3.14; 95% CI: 1.16, 8.50).Conclusions: These findings suggest that exposure to BTHM may increase the frequency of MN in maternal binucleated lymphocytes.Citation: Stayner LT, Pedersen M, Patelarou E, Decordier I, Vande Loock K, Chatzi L, Espinosa A, Fthenou E, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Gracia-Lavedan E, Stephanou EG, Kirsch-Volders M, Kogevinas M. 2014. Exposure to brominated trihalomethanes in water during pregnancy and micronuclei frequency in maternal and cord blood lymphocytes. Environ Health Perspect 122:100–106; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206434     

Sexual maturation of Greek boys

Background : Sexual maturation is dependent on genetic and environmental factors, therefore each ethnic group has to have its own normative data. Aim : This study describes the sexual maturation of Greek boys. Subjects and methods : We examined cross-sectionally 1266 healthy boys, aged 8-16 years. Pubertal staging in each boy was assessed according to Tanner's classification. Our data were also compared with those of a study performed in 1968. Results : The first pubertal sign was genital enlargement (G2) that occurred at a mean age of 11.0 ( &#45 1.3) years followed by pubic hair development (PH2) at 11.5 ( &#45 1.5) years of age. There was no clear change in pubertal maturation from the 1968 study. Conclusions : The age at which genital development occurs in Greek boys is no different from that of other Caucasian populations. However, pubic hair in Greek boys develops significantly earlier.     

Interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-6 mRNA are expressed in human glioblastoma and neuroblastoma cells respectively.

We report the expression of different interleukins (IL) in four human glioblastoma and neuroblastoma cell lines. The glioblastoma cell line LI, expresses IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNA, though not IL-2 and IL-4. The expression of the former gene is modulated by retinoic acid. Two cell clones [BE(2)-C and BE(2)-M17] as well as the neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-BE(2), from which both clones were derived, express IL-6 mRNA, but not IL-1 beta, IL-2 or IL-4. Both IL-1 beta and IL-6 cytokines are known to increase hypothalamic CRH mRNA, a gene reported to be expressed in all these cell lines. The production of both cytokines and neuropeptides indicates a complex dialogue between tumour cells and anti-tumour immunity.