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Nutritional Epidemiology (Poster Session)

(P13-055-24) Maternal Blood Concentration of Heavy Metals and Trace Elements in Relation to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Study

Sunday, June 30, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 444

    Presenting Author(s)

  • FO

    Fengxiu Ouyang

    Professor
    Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, Shanghai, China (People's Republic)

    • Co-Author(s)

  • YL

    Yanlin Li

    Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, China (People's Republic)

  • TZ

    Ting Zhang

    Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, China (People's Republic)

  • JM

    Jinqian Ma

    Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, Shanghai, China (People's Republic)

  • JL

    Junxia Liu

    Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, China (People's Republic)

  • JX

    Jian Xu

    Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, China (People's Republic)

  • CY

    Chong-Huai Yan

    Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, China (People's Republic)

  • JZ

    Jun Zhang

    Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, Shanghai, China (People's Republic)

Objectives: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common metabolic complication during pregnancy, and it can lead both maternal and fetal adverse outcomes. Environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs) including heavy metals exposure might increase GDM incidence. This study aimed to examine the association between maternal exposure to heavy metals and trace elements at early pregnancy and the risk of GDM in the Shanghai Birth Cohort (SBC).

Methods: Maternal whole blood metal(loid) elements including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), Arsenic(As), rubidium (Rb), Selenium(Se), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mg), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) were measured at early pregnancy using an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and blood Hg concentration was measured by vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The definition of GDM and diabetes before pregnancy (DM) followed the recommendation of the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG).

Results: This study included 688 women with GDM, 48 having diabetes before pregnancy (DM), and 1440 euglycemic pregnancy. Maternal blood concentrations of Hg (mean±SD 2.10±1.09, 2.39±1.01, and 1.95±0.97 μg/L), and As (3.11±1.83, 4.53±4.67, and 3.15±2.09 μg/L) were different among three groups of GDM, DM, and Normal at early pregnancy. Compared with the lowest quintiles of maternal blood Hg, the highest Hg quintile was associated with 1.59 fold higher odds of GDM (OR 95% CI, 1.13, 2.23, p=0.008) and 6.34 fold higher odds (OR 95% CI 1.39,28.87, p=0.02) of DM. In addition, dose-response associations were both observed. No associations were found between other measured metal(loid) elements and GDM in this population.

Conclusions: In this study, higher blood Hg was consistently found to be associated with higher risk of GDM as well as DM before pregnancy, suggesting exposure to Hg might be potential risk factor for GDM.

Funding Sources: This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.