Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project

Purpose The Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project is a mother–child pregnancy and birth cohort originally initiated in the mid-1990s to explore: (1) whether enhanced mobilisation of lead from maternal bone stores during pregnancy poses a risk to fetal and subsequ...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lu Tang, Manish Arora, Wei Perng, Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz, Brisa N Sánchez, Alejandra Cantoral, John D Meeker, Dana C Dolinoy, Elizabeth F Roberts, Esperanza Angeles Martinez-Mier, Hector Lamadrid-Figueroa, Peter X K Song, Adrienne S Ettinger, Robert Wright, Lourdes Schnaas, Deborah J Watkins, Jaclyn M Goodrich, Robin C Garcia, Maritsa Solano-Gonzalez, Luis F Bautista-Arredondo, Adriana Mercado-Garcia, Howard Hu, Mauricio Hernandez-Avila, Martha Maria Tellez-Rojo, Karen E Peterson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e030427.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850146585592201216
author Lu Tang
Manish Arora
Wei Perng
Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz
Brisa N Sánchez
Alejandra Cantoral
John D Meeker
Dana C Dolinoy
Elizabeth F Roberts
Esperanza Angeles Martinez-Mier
Hector Lamadrid-Figueroa
Peter X K Song
Adrienne S Ettinger
Robert Wright
Lourdes Schnaas
Deborah J Watkins
Jaclyn M Goodrich
Robin C Garcia
Maritsa Solano-Gonzalez
Luis F Bautista-Arredondo
Adriana Mercado-Garcia
Howard Hu
Mauricio Hernandez-Avila
Martha Maria Tellez-Rojo
Karen E Peterson
author_facet Lu Tang
Manish Arora
Wei Perng
Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz
Brisa N Sánchez
Alejandra Cantoral
John D Meeker
Dana C Dolinoy
Elizabeth F Roberts
Esperanza Angeles Martinez-Mier
Hector Lamadrid-Figueroa
Peter X K Song
Adrienne S Ettinger
Robert Wright
Lourdes Schnaas
Deborah J Watkins
Jaclyn M Goodrich
Robin C Garcia
Maritsa Solano-Gonzalez
Luis F Bautista-Arredondo
Adriana Mercado-Garcia
Howard Hu
Mauricio Hernandez-Avila
Martha Maria Tellez-Rojo
Karen E Peterson
author_sort Lu Tang
collection DOAJ
description Purpose The Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project is a mother–child pregnancy and birth cohort originally initiated in the mid-1990s to explore: (1) whether enhanced mobilisation of lead from maternal bone stores during pregnancy poses a risk to fetal and subsequent offspring neurodevelopment; and (2) whether maternal calcium supplementation during pregnancy and lactation can suppress bone lead mobilisation and mitigate the adverse effects of lead exposure on offspring health and development. Through utilisation of carefully archived biospecimens to measure other prenatal exposures, banking of DNA and rigorous measurement of a diverse array of outcomes, ELEMENT has since evolved into a major resource for research on early life exposures and developmental outcomes.Participants n=1643 mother–child pairs sequentially recruited (between 1994 and 2003) during pregnancy or at delivery from maternity hospitals in Mexico City, Mexico.Findings to date Maternal bone (eg, patella, tibia) is an endogenous source for fetal lead exposure due to mobilisation of stored lead into circulation during pregnancy and lactation, leading to increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and smaller head circumference, and transfer of lead into breastmilk. Daily supplementation with 1200 mg of elemental calcium during pregnancy and lactation reduces lead resorption from maternal bone and thereby, levels of circulating lead. Beyond perinatal outcomes, early life exposure to lead is associated with neurocognitive deficits, behavioural disorders, higher blood pressure and lower weight in offspring during childhood. Some of these relationships were modified by dietary factors; genetic polymorphisms specific for iron, folate and lipid metabolism; and timing of exposure. Research has also expanded to include findings published on other toxicants such as those associated with personal care products and plastics (eg, phthalates, bisphenol A), other metals (eg, mercury, manganese, cadmium), pesticides (organophosphates) and fluoride; other biomarkers (eg, toxicant levels in plasma, hair and teeth); other outcomes (eg, sexual maturation, metabolic syndrome, dental caries); and identification of novel mechanisms via epigenetic and metabolomics profiling.Future plans As the ELEMENT mothers and children age, we plan to (1) continue studying the long-term consequences of toxicant exposure during the perinatal period on adolescent and young adult outcomes as well as outcomes related to the original ELEMENT mothers, such as their metabolic and bone health during perimenopause; and (2) follow the third generation of participants (children of the children) to study intergenerational effects of in utero exposures.Trial registration number NCT00558623.
format Article
id doaj-art-186db3cb5f0e45eb90f2444161bb7485
institution OA Journals
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2019-08-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-186db3cb5f0e45eb90f2444161bb74852025-08-20T02:27:49ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-08-019810.1136/bmjopen-2019-030427Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) ProjectLu Tang0Manish Arora1Wei Perng2Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz3Brisa N Sánchez4Alejandra Cantoral5John D Meeker6Dana C Dolinoy7Elizabeth F Roberts8Esperanza Angeles Martinez-Mier9Hector Lamadrid-Figueroa10Peter X K Song11Adrienne S Ettinger12Robert Wright13Lourdes Schnaas14Deborah J Watkins15Jaclyn M Goodrich16Robin C Garcia17Maritsa Solano-Gonzalez18Luis F Bautista-Arredondo19Adriana Mercado-Garcia20Howard Hu21Mauricio Hernandez-Avila22Martha Maria Tellez-Rojo23Karen E Peterson24Anesthesia and Pain Medical Center, Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, ChinaDepartment of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado, USACenter for Research in Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, MexicoDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USACenter for Research in Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, MexicoDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USADepartment of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USADepartment of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USADepartment of Cariology, Operative Dentistry and Dental Public Health, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana, USACenter for Population Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, MexicoDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USADepartment of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA1King’s College LondonDivision of Research in Community Interventions, Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia, Mexico City, MexicoDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USADepartment of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USACenter for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, MexicoCenter for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, MexicoCenter for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico6Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USADirección de Prestaciones Económicas y Sociales, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Mexico City, MexicoCenter for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, MexicoDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAPurpose The Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project is a mother–child pregnancy and birth cohort originally initiated in the mid-1990s to explore: (1) whether enhanced mobilisation of lead from maternal bone stores during pregnancy poses a risk to fetal and subsequent offspring neurodevelopment; and (2) whether maternal calcium supplementation during pregnancy and lactation can suppress bone lead mobilisation and mitigate the adverse effects of lead exposure on offspring health and development. Through utilisation of carefully archived biospecimens to measure other prenatal exposures, banking of DNA and rigorous measurement of a diverse array of outcomes, ELEMENT has since evolved into a major resource for research on early life exposures and developmental outcomes.Participants n=1643 mother–child pairs sequentially recruited (between 1994 and 2003) during pregnancy or at delivery from maternity hospitals in Mexico City, Mexico.Findings to date Maternal bone (eg, patella, tibia) is an endogenous source for fetal lead exposure due to mobilisation of stored lead into circulation during pregnancy and lactation, leading to increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and smaller head circumference, and transfer of lead into breastmilk. Daily supplementation with 1200 mg of elemental calcium during pregnancy and lactation reduces lead resorption from maternal bone and thereby, levels of circulating lead. Beyond perinatal outcomes, early life exposure to lead is associated with neurocognitive deficits, behavioural disorders, higher blood pressure and lower weight in offspring during childhood. Some of these relationships were modified by dietary factors; genetic polymorphisms specific for iron, folate and lipid metabolism; and timing of exposure. Research has also expanded to include findings published on other toxicants such as those associated with personal care products and plastics (eg, phthalates, bisphenol A), other metals (eg, mercury, manganese, cadmium), pesticides (organophosphates) and fluoride; other biomarkers (eg, toxicant levels in plasma, hair and teeth); other outcomes (eg, sexual maturation, metabolic syndrome, dental caries); and identification of novel mechanisms via epigenetic and metabolomics profiling.Future plans As the ELEMENT mothers and children age, we plan to (1) continue studying the long-term consequences of toxicant exposure during the perinatal period on adolescent and young adult outcomes as well as outcomes related to the original ELEMENT mothers, such as their metabolic and bone health during perimenopause; and (2) follow the third generation of participants (children of the children) to study intergenerational effects of in utero exposures.Trial registration number NCT00558623.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e030427.full
spellingShingle Lu Tang
Manish Arora
Wei Perng
Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz
Brisa N Sánchez
Alejandra Cantoral
John D Meeker
Dana C Dolinoy
Elizabeth F Roberts
Esperanza Angeles Martinez-Mier
Hector Lamadrid-Figueroa
Peter X K Song
Adrienne S Ettinger
Robert Wright
Lourdes Schnaas
Deborah J Watkins
Jaclyn M Goodrich
Robin C Garcia
Maritsa Solano-Gonzalez
Luis F Bautista-Arredondo
Adriana Mercado-Garcia
Howard Hu
Mauricio Hernandez-Avila
Martha Maria Tellez-Rojo
Karen E Peterson
Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project
BMJ Open
title Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project
title_full Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project
title_fullStr Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project
title_full_unstemmed Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project
title_short Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Project
title_sort early life exposure in mexico to environmental toxicants element project
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e030427.full
work_keys_str_mv AT lutang earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT manisharora earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT weiperng earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT marcelatamayoortiz earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT brisansanchez earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT alejandracantoral earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT johndmeeker earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT danacdolinoy earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT elizabethfroberts earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT esperanzaangelesmartinezmier earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT hectorlamadridfigueroa earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT peterxksong earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT adriennesettinger earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT robertwright earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT lourdesschnaas earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT deborahjwatkins earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT jaclynmgoodrich earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT robincgarcia earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT maritsasolanogonzalez earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT luisfbautistaarredondo earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT adrianamercadogarcia earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT howardhu earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT mauriciohernandezavila earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT marthamariatellezrojo earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject
AT karenepeterson earlylifeexposureinmexicotoenvironmentaltoxicantselementproject