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Cadmium, Lead, and Selenium in Cord Blood and Thyroid Hormone Status of Newborns

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Abstract

Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se) concentrations in cord whole blood, sampled from 24 women at the time of delivery in a hospital in Tokyo in 2005, were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with a reaction cell. Signal enhancement caused by nonspectroscopic interference for Se was evident and the standard addition technique was essential for correcting the interference. Median concentration in cord bloods was 0.20 ng/g, 6.7 ng/g (0.67 μg/dL), and 191 ng/g for Cd, Pb and Se, respectively. Lead concentration was lower, whereas Se concentration was higher, than those reported in other countries. The trace element concentration was related to the levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxin (fT4) in the neonatal blood sampled at 4–6 days postpartum. A significantly negative correlation was observed between Cd concentrations in cord blood and TSH concentration in neonatal blood. The result indicated the possible effect of in utero Cd exposure on thyroid hormone status of newborns and that Cd exposure level should be assessed as a covariate in the survey on the relationship between in utero chemicals (e.g., PCBs) exposure and thyroid hormone status.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 228-8555, Japan

    Kentaro Iijima

  2. Department of Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan

    Takamitsu Otake & Jun Yoshinaga

  3. Quality Control Center for Neonatal Screening, Japan Public Health Association, 656-1, Higashidaira, Matsuyama, Saitama 355-0002, Japan

    Miyuki Ikegami, Emiko Suzuki & Hiroshi Naruse

  4. Kanto Medical Center Hospital, NTT East, 5-9-22 Higashigotanda, Shinagawa, Tokyo, 141-8625, Japan

    Tomoya Yamanaka, Noriko Shibuya & Takehiko Yasumizu

  5. Institute of Neuroscience, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Nobumasa Kato

Authors
  1. Kentaro Iijima
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  2. Takamitsu Otake
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  3. Jun Yoshinaga
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  4. Miyuki Ikegami
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  5. Emiko Suzuki
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  6. Hiroshi Naruse
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  7. Tomoya Yamanaka
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  8. Noriko Shibuya
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  9. Takehiko Yasumizu
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  10. Nobumasa Kato
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Correspondence to Jun Yoshinaga.

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Iijima, K., Otake, T., Yoshinaga, J. et al. Cadmium, Lead, and Selenium in Cord Blood and Thyroid Hormone Status of Newborns. Biol Trace Elem Res 119, 10–18 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-007-0057-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-007-0057-1

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