Prenatal mercury exposure, neurodevelopment and apolipoprotein E genetic polymorphism.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Prenatal exposure to environmental toxins like mercury (Hg) poses risks to child neurodevelopment.
• Genetic factors, such as apolipoprotein E (Apoe) polymorphism, may modify susceptibility to these environmental exposures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between prenatal mercury exposure and neurodevelopment in children.
• To examine the modifying role of apolipoprotein E (Apoe) genotype on this association.
• To consider other confounders like selenium (Se) and lead (Pb).

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of 601 mother-child pairs from Slovenia and Croatia.
• Measurement of total mercury (Hg) in cord blood.
• Neurodevelopmental assessment using Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) at 18 months.
• Apoe genotyping performed on a subset of 361 children.

Main Results:

• Low-to-moderate prenatal Hg exposure was associated with lower cognitive and fine motor scores at 18 months.
• The negative impact on cognitive scores was significant only in children with at least one Apoe ε4 allele.
• Fine motor score decreases were independent of Apoe genotype.
• Positive association between Se and language scores, and negative association between Pb and motor scores were observed, except in ε4 carriers.

Conclusions:

• Prenatal mercury exposure can impair infant neurodevelopment, with Apoe genotype influencing cognitive outcomes.
• Selenium and lead also play roles in neurodevelopment, potentially interacting with genetic susceptibility.
• These findings highlight the complex interplay between environmental exposures, genetics, and child neurodevelopment.