Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Oct 30;23(1):94.
doi: 10.1186/s12940-024-01135-6.

Prenatal metal exposures and kidney function in adolescence in Project Viva

Natalie F Price  1 , Pi-I D Lin  2 , Andres Cardenas  3 , Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman  2 , Ami R Zota  4 , Marie-France Hivert  2   5 , Emily Oken  2 , Izzuddin M Aris #  2 , Alison P Sanders #  6   7
Affiliations

Prenatal metal exposures and kidney function in adolescence in Project Viva

Natalie F Price et al. Environ Health. .

Abstract

Background: The developing kidney is vulnerable to prenatal environmental factors such as metal exposure, potentially altering the risk of later-life kidney dysfunction. This study examines the relationship between prenatal metal exposures, individually and as mixtures, and adolescent kidney function in Project Viva, a prospective longitudinal birth cohort in Massachusetts, USA.

Methods: We used data on metals measured in blood during pregnancy including 15 in the first trimester and four in the second trimester. We calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in adolescents (mean: 17.7 years) using cystatin C- (eGFRcys) and creatinine-based (eGFRcreat) equations for children. We used linear regression for single metal analyses, and Bayesian kernel machine regression and quantile-based g-computation for mixture analyses, adjusting for relevant covariates. To account for multiple comparisons in the single metal analyses, we applied the Holm-Bonferroni procedure to control the false discovery rate.

Results: This study included 371 participants with first trimester metals and adolescent eGFR, and 256 with second trimester metals. Each doubling in first trimester cadmium concentration was associated with lower adolescent eGFRcys (β:-1.51; 95% CI:-2.83, -0.18). Each doubling in first trimester chromium (β:-1.45; 95% CI:-2.71, -0.19), nickel (β:-1.91; 95% CI:-3.65, -0.16), and vanadium (β:-1.69; 95% CI:-3.21, -0.17) was associated with lower adolescent eGFRcreat. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, p-values for associations between adolescent eGFR and chromium, nickel, vanadium and cadmium did not meet the criteria for significance. Metal mixture analyses did not identify statistically significant associations with adolescent eGFR.

Conclusions: These findings have important implications for future studies investigating the potential mechanisms through which prenatal metal exposures affect long-term kidney health in children.

Keywords: Cohort; Environmental exposure; Epidemiology; Metals; Mixtures; Renal development.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of inclusion for participants with first trimester metals concentrations
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plot of regression beta estimates for first trimester metal concentrations vs. adolescent eGFRcys. Regression models were adjusted for covariates including maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, race and ethnicity, education level, household income, parity, pregnancy smoking status, hematocrit level, gestational age at blood draw, and AHEI diet score
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Forest plot of regression beta estimates for first trimester metal concentrations vs. adolescent eGFRcreat. Regression models were adjusted for covariates including maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, race and ethnicity, education level, household income, parity, pregnancy smoking status, hematocrit level, gestational age at blood draw, and AHEI diet score
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Punshon T, Li Z, Marsit CJ, Jackson BP, Baker ER, Karagas MR. Placental metal concentrations in relation to maternal and infant toenails in a U.S. cohort. Environ Sci Technol. 2016;50(3):1587–94. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Solhaug MJ, Bolger PM, Jose PA. The developing kidney and environmental toxins. Pediatrics. 2004;113(4 Suppl):1084–91. - PubMed
    1. Rosenblum S, Pal A, Reidy K. Renal development in the fetus and premature infant. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2017;22(2):58–66. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hsu C-N, Tain Y-L. Adverse impact of environmental chemicals on developmental origins of kidney disease and hypertension. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021;12:745716. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Liu C, He Y, Venn AJ, Jose MD, Tian J. Childhood modifiable risk factors and later life chronic kidney disease: a systematic review. BMC Nephrol. 2023;24(1):184. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources