Biological Monitoring for
Exposure Assessment Potential for Use in Studies
of Adverse Reproductive
Outcomes
• PJE Quintana, San Diego State
University Graduate School of Public
Health
• [email protected]
Exposure assessment
using biological samples
• “Biomonitoring” is the•
assessment of human
exposure to chemicals
by measuring the
chemicals or their
metabolites in human
specimens such as
blood or urine.
"Biomonitoring"
consiste en el análisis
de la exposición
humana a los
compuestos químicos
por medio de la
determinación de los
mismos o sus
metabolitos en
muestras humanas,
como sangre u orina.
PJE Quintana, SDSU
CDC's
El Informe Nacional sobre la Exposición Humana a Compuestos
Químicos Ambientales
(National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental
Chemicals)
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/sp_default.htm
• The Second Report,
January 2003, presents
biomonitoring exposure
data for 116
environmental chemicals
• (divided into age,
gender, and
race/ethnicity groups )
• El Segundo Informe
Nacional, enero de
2003, presenta los
resultados del análisis
de 116 compuestos
químicos ambientales
• (según edad, sexo, y
raza o grupo étnico).
CDC 2nd annual report (in your
binder)
California Birth Defects Monitoring
Program
http://www.cbdmp.org/biologic.htm
SAMPLE BANKING
-The California Birth Defects Monitoring Program is pioneering
the use of specimens from statewide screening programs.
-Newborn screening. Infants routinely have blood taken from
their heels to test for metabolic conditions. Several blood spots
are blotted onto a filter paper. Many of our studies have used
extra blood spots to search for genetic variants.
-Midpregnancy screening.
The State’s Expanded AFP program offers a blood test screening
for birth defects to all expectant mothers around 15-18 weeks of
pregnancy.
-Beginning in January 2003, the California Birth Defects
Monitoring Program will accrue and store over 90,000 of
these unused blood samples per year. Once pregnancy outcome
is known, we can test the blood to get clues about why some
mothers had healthy children while other mothers had children
with birth defects and mental retardation. Biologic
banking/testing are powerful new tools for finding causes of
birth defects.
• Biological monitoring testing
• Useful for
• Exposure assessment at trimester of interest
– Long half life compounds like Pb, DDT/DDE
– Short half life compounds with ‘constant’ exposure (cotinine
for secondhand tobacco smoke)
• Genetic susceptibility (e.g. polymorphisms in
protective enzymes GST Mu, theta, pi)
• Less useful for
– Exposure assessment of short half life compounds like many
solvents, unless exposure very continuous
– Compounds that need a special collection tube, so that
routine samples may not be suitable (for example Cd)
......IDEA for discussion – should we try to test either
routine or specially collected biological samples for
evidence of maternal exposures