Environmental pollutants and adrenal steroids biosynthesis in elderly

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Environmental Health
• Toxicology

Background:

• Previous research linked environmental contaminants (ECs) to sex hormones in the elderly.
• This study examines associations between four classes of ECs and five adrenal steroids (AS), including cortisol and its precursors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between blood concentrations of various environmental contaminants and adrenal steroid levels in elderly individuals.
• To explore potential structure-activity relationships influencing adrenal steroid biosynthesis due to EC exposure.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of plasma samples from 950 elderly individuals (age 70) from the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study.
• Quantification of four adrenal steroids (pregnenolone, 17-hydroxy pregnenolone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol) and cortisol.
• Measurement of 21 persistent organic pollutants (POPs), 8 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 4 phthalates, and 10 metals using mass spectrometry and ELISA.

Main Results:

• Environmental contaminants across all classes showed complex associations with adrenal steroid concentrations.
• Pregnenolone (Pregn) exhibited the strongest associations with ECs; cortisol was least affected.
• Strongest relationships were observed between Pregn, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and 17-hydroxy pregnenolone and specific PCBs, phthalates, and metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni), with stronger effects in women.

Conclusions:

• Elderly individuals exhibit associations between concentrations of numerous environmental contaminants and adrenal steroids within the cortisol pathway.
• The clinical implications of these EC-AS relationships on diseases linked to adrenal steroid biosynthesis require further investigation.