Birth Weight and Prenatal Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE): A Meta-analysis within 12 European Birth Cohorts

Objectives: Exposure to high concentrations of persistent organochlorines may cause fetal toxicity, but the evidence at low exposure levels is limited. Large studies with substantial exposure contrasts and appropriate exposure assessment are warranted. Within the framework of the EU (European Union) ENRIECO (ENvironmental Health RIsks in European Birth Cohorts) and EU OBELIX (OBesogenic Endocrine disrupting chemicals: LInking prenatal eXposure to the development of obesity later in life) projects, we examined the hypothesis that the combination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) adversely affects birth weight

Determinants of variability of protein content, volume and pH of exhaled breath condensate

SummaryCollection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a simple and noninvasive method to obtain information on the respiratory system. Different mediators can be determined in EBC. However, determinants of variability are not well described.The aim of this study was to evaluate variability of pH, volume and protein concentration of EBC between individuals and between sampling times. Therefore, EBC was collected from 20 healthy volunteers on two different days.Median pH for all samples, measured 5min after collection without deaeration, was 6.17. Median volume was 1.70ml and median total protein concentration was 1.02μg/ml. Coefficients of variation were 5.17%, 21.84% and 37.93%, respectively. No intra- or interday variability could be found, except for the first collection time. Between individuals, significant differences were observed for all three mediators. Age, height and gender can explain part of this variation.In conclusion, no significant difference between sampling times on the same day or on different days was obtained for pH, volume and total protein concentration, provided that subjects are experienced in collecting EBC