Environ Res

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between occupational exposures to carbonaceous unintentionally emitted nanoscale particles (UNPs) during pregnancy and the child's language development and behaviour at two years old. METHODS: Using data from the French Longitudinal Study of Childhood - ELFE, we selected mothers who worked during pregnancy and their children. Exposure to carbonaceous UNPs was assessed by the MatPUF (job-exposure matrix for ultrafine particles). Children's lexical development was analysed using 'the Mac Arthur - Bates communicative development inventories-words and sentences-short form' (MB-CDI) in a multivariate binary logistic regression. Their risk for autism spectrum disorders was studied using 'the Modified-CHecklist for Autism in Toddler' (M-CHAT) according to the recommended thresholds (low risk = 0-2; intermediate risk = 3-6 and high risk = 7-23) in unordered multinomial logistic regression models. RESULTS: Maternal occupational exposure to carbonaceous UNPs was associated with delayed child language development (ORadj: 1.34; 95 % CI: 1.00, 1.80) but not with behavioural disorders (autism spectrum disorders) at two years old. CONCLUSION: This is the first epidemiological study to show a significant association between maternal occupational exposure to carbonaceous nanoscale particles and child language development at 2 years old

Évaluation des effets sur le neurodéveloppement de l’exposition prénatale et postnatale aux produits phytopharmaceutiques. Présentation du projet NEUROPHYTO

International audiencePrenatal and neonatal periods are windows of vulnerability to environmental chemical contaminants. A growing number of epidemiological and toxicological studies suggest that exposure to pesticides during these periods may impact the health of children at birth as well as their development, with potential delayed adverse effects.The NEUROPHYTO project is a new research project that aims to evaluate the exposure to pesticides of French children from prenatal period to early childhood and to study the possible effects of these exposures on their motor and neuropsychological development. New exposure data will be generated: levels of 140 pesticides and metabolites will be measured in biological samples (urine and hair) of 200 children from the national cohort Elfe (French longitudinal study of children). The levels of active substance(s) in the brain will be estimated using a mathematical model and then related to early neurodevelopmental effects. Two approaches will be used to better identify and characterize these links. The first strategy will rely on epidemiological methods and the second will be based on the understanding of the neurotoxicity mechanisms of the substances. Finally, a child-specific risk analysis will provide support to public policies by targeted evidence during pre- and post-natal windows of vulnerability.Les périodes prénatale et néonatale constituent des fenêtres de sensibilité vis-à-vis des contaminants chimiques de l’environnement. Un nombre croissant d’études épidémiologiques et toxicologiques suggère que l’exposition aux pesticides pendant ces périodes pourrait impacter la santé des enfants à la naissance ainsi que leur développement, avec des retentissements possibles tout au long de la vie.Le projet NEUROPHYTO est un nouveau projet de recherche qui vise à évaluer les expositions aux produits phytosanitaires d’enfants français lors de la période prénatale à la petite enfance et à étudier les effets possibles de ces expositions sur leur développement moteur et neuropsychologique. De nouvelles données d’exposition seront produites : les concentrations de 140 pesticides et métabolites seront mesurés dans les échantillons biologiques (urine et cheveux) de 200 enfants de la cohorte nationale Elfe (Etude longitudinale française depuis l’enfance). Les concentrations de substance(s) active(s) dans le cerveau seront estimées par modélisation puis mis en relation avec des effets neurodéveloppementaux précoces. Deux approches seront mises en œuvre afin de mieux identifier et caractériser ces liens : l’une épidémiologique et l’autre basée sur la compréhension des mécanismes de neurotoxicité des substances. Enfin, une analyse spécifique des risques pour les enfants permettra d’appuyer les politiques publiques en apportant des éléments ciblés sur les fenêtres de sensibilité pré et postnatales

Maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents and intrauterine growth in the ELFE cohort

International audienceBACKGROUND: In developed countries, about 15% of women are occupationally exposed to solvents. Associations between this maternal occupational exposure and intrauterine fetal growth are inconsistent, but almost no existing study has investigated this relation by solvent family (oxygenated, petroleum, and chlorinated), although they may affect fetal growth differently. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relations between maternal occupational solvent exposure, by solvent family, and the risk of neonates born small for gestational age (SGA), or with low birthweight, or with small head circumference (HC). METHODS: Among the 18,040 women included in the Elfe birth cohort, we included 13,026 women who worked during pregnancy (72% of the cohort). Information about maternal occupations and industrial activities during pregnancy was collected by questionnaire at the maternity ward, and completed at 2-month when necessary. Using Matgéné job-exposure matrices, we assessed maternal occupational exposure to solvents. Logistic and multiple linear regressions were used to assess the association between maternal occupational solvent exposure and SGA status, birth weight, and HC. Analyses were conducted for exposure during pregnancy and also stratified by the trimester that pregnancy leave began. RESULTS: We observed a higher risk of SGA newborns among mothers occupationally exposed during pregnancy to petroleum solvents (OR(adjusted) = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.01 to 1.57). Among women working until the third trimester of pregnancy, we observed a higher risk of SGA newborns to those occupationally exposed to oxygenated solvents (OR(adjusted) = 1.75; 95%CI: 1.11 to 2.75), a significantly lower birthweight for infants of mothers exposed to petroleum solvents (β(adjusted) = -47.37 g; -89.33 to -5.42), and a lower HC among newborns of those occupationally exposed to oxygenated solvents (β(adjusted) = -0.28; -0.49 to -0.07) and to chlorinated solvents (β(adjusted) = -0.29; -0.53 to -0.05). DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that maternal occupational solvent exposure may influence fetal growth, especially exposure into the third trimester of pregnancy

ABO blood types and SARS-CoV-2 infection assessed using seroprevalence data in a large population-based sample: the SAPRIS-SERO multi-cohort study

International audienceAbstract ABO blood type has been reported as a potential factor influencing SARS-CoV-2 infection, but so far mostly in studies that involved small samples, selected population and/or used PCR test results. In contrast our study aimed to assess the association between ABO blood types and SARS-CoV-2 infection using seroprevalence data (independent of whether or not individuals had symptoms or sought for testing) in a large population-based sample. Our study included 67,340 French participants to the SAPRIS-SERO multi-cohort project. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected using ELISA (targeting the proteins spike (S) and nucleocapsid (NP)) and seroneutralisation (SN) tests on dried blood spots collected in May–November 2020. Non-O individuals (and especially types A and AB) were more likely to bear anti SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (ELISA-S, 2964 positive cases: OR non-Ovs.O = 1.09[1.01–1.17], OR Avs.O = 1.08[1.00–1.17]; ELISA-S/ELISA-NP/SN, 678 triple positive cases: OR non-Ovs.O = 1.19 [1.02–1.39], OR Avs.O = 1.19[1.01–1.41], OR ABvs.O = 1.43[1.01–2.03]). Hence, our results provided additional insights into the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 infection, highlighting a higher susceptibility of infection for individuals of blood types A and AB and a lesser risk for blood type O

Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection probabilities with serological data and a Bayesian mixture model

International audienceThe individual results of SARS-CoV-2 serological tests measured after the first pandemic wave of 2020 cannot be directly interpreted as a probability of having been infected. Plus, these results are usually returned as a binary or ternary variable, relying on predefined cut-offs. We propose a Bayesian mixture model to estimate individual infection probabilities, based on 81,797 continuous anti-spike IgG tests from Euroimmun collected in France after the first wave. This approach used serological results as a continuous variable, and was therefore not based on diagnostic cut-offs. Cumulative incidence, which is necessary to compute infection probabilities, was estimated according to age and administrative region. In France, we found that a “negative” or a “positive” test, as classified by the manufacturer, could correspond to a probability of infection as high as 61.8% or as low as 67.7%, respectively. “Indeterminate” tests encompassed probabilities of infection ranging from 10.8 to 96.6%. Our model estimated tailored individual probabilities of SARS-CoV-2 infection based on age, region, and serological result. It can be applied in other contexts, if estimates of cumulative incidence are available