Plasma Liver Enzymes in Relation to p,p’-DDE and p,p’-DDT Exposure among South African Women

Plasma Liver Enzymes in Relation to p,p’-DDE and p,p’-DDT Exposure among South African WomenAbstract Number:1884 Lea Cupul-Uicab*, Riana Bornman, Kristina Whitworth, Janet Archer, Mwenda Kudumu, Gregory Travlos, Ralph Wilson, and Matthew Longnecker Lea Cupul-Uicab* National Institute of Public Health, Mexico, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Riana Bornman University of Pretoria, South Africa, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Kristina Whitworth The University of Texas School of Public Health, San Antonio Regional Campus, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Janet Archer Social and Scientific Systems, Inc. , United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Mwenda Kudumu Social and Scientific Systems, Inc. , United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Gregory Travlos National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Ralph Wilson National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , and Matthew Longnecker National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author AbstractBackground. An increase in liver function parameters has been observed among men with occupational exposure to the pesticide DDT. Whether liver function might be affected by exposure to p,p’-DDT and its major degradation product, p,p’-DDE, from indoor residual spraying is unknown. We evaluated the association of p,p’-DDT and p,p’-DDE exposure with liver function among women residing in homes sprayed with DDT for malaria control in South Africa.Methods. We analyzed data from 426 women enrolled from 2010 to 2011 for the Study of Women and Babies. Levels of p,p’-DDE and p,p’-DDT were determined in plasma samples obtained at enrollment. Outcomes of interest were alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), gamma-glutamyl tranferase (GGT), and direct and total bilirubin. Each outcome was evaluated individually (after natural log transformation) in relation to p,p’-DDT or p,p’-DDE with linear regression.Results. Median level of p,p’-DDT was 0.89 µg/L (quartiles: 0.27, 2.70 µg/L) and the median level of p,p’-DDE was 5.3 µg/L (quartiles: 1.50, 11.0 µg/L). After adjusting for total cholesterol, triglycerides, and relevant subject’s characteristics, women in the highest quintile of p,p’-DDE exposure had 8.3% (95% CI: -7, 23; p-trend=0.33) higher GGT compared to women in the lowest quintile. Likewise, women in the highest quintile of p,p’-DDT exposure had 14% higher GGT (95% CI: -0.5, 28; p-trend=0.20), 7% higher AST (95% CI: -2.0, 16; p-trend=0.16), and 15% lower total bilirubin (95% CI: -26, -2; p-trend=0.07).Conclusion. Our results, while not conclusive, suggest that increasing levels of p,p’-DDT were associated with altered liver function among women with non-occupational exposure to DDT.