IntroductionAdministration of dexamethasone (DEX) has been used experimentally to suppress androgenization of external genitalia in 46,XX fetuses with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Despite this, the prenatal biological... more
IntroductionAdministration of dexamethasone (DEX) has been used experimentally to suppress androgenization of external genitalia in 46,XX fetuses with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Despite this, the prenatal biological mechanism-of-action of DEX on fetal development is not known. This study aimed to examine direct effects of DEX on human fetal adrenal (HFA) steroidogenic activity including possible effects on the subsequent response to ACTH-stimulation.MethodsHuman fetal adrenal (HFA) tissue from 30 fetuses (1st trimester) were cultured ex vivo with A) DEX (10 µm) for 14 days, or B) DEX (10 µm) for 10 days followed by ACTH (1 nM) for 4 days. DEX-mediated effects on HFA morphology, viability, and apoptosis (immunohistochemistry), gene expression (quantitative PCR), and steroid hormone secretion (LC-MS/MS) were investigated.ResultsDEX-treatment caused decreased androstenedione (p<0.05) and increased cortisol (p<0.01) secretion suggesting that direct effects on the adrenal glan...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
BACKGROUND Globally, the ages at pubertal onset for girls and boys have been decreasing during recent decades, partly attributed to excess body fat accumulation. However, a growing body of literature has recognized that endocrine... more
BACKGROUND Globally, the ages at pubertal onset for girls and boys have been decreasing during recent decades, partly attributed to excess body fat accumulation. However, a growing body of literature has recognized that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may play an important role in this global trend, but the association has not yet been fully established. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE EDCs can interfere with normal hormone function and metabolism and play a role in pubertal onset. We aimed to systematically identify and evaluate the current evidence on the timing of pubertal onset in girls and boys following prenatal or postnatal exposures to xenobiotic EDCs. SEARCH METHODS Following PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic literature search of original peer-reviewed publications in the PubMed database through a block search approach using a combination of index MeSH and free text search terms. Publications were considered if they covered biomarkers of prenatal or postnatal expos...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
CONCLUSION By ultrasensitive technique circulating estradiol was measurable in most pre-pubertal girls in the age group 1-6 years. Serum estradiol, serum inhibin B and LH30 decreased in the age interval 1-6 years. We observed a positive... more
CONCLUSION By ultrasensitive technique circulating estradiol was measurable in most pre-pubertal girls in the age group 1-6 years. Serum estradiol, serum inhibin B and LH30 decreased in the age interval 1-6 years. We observed a positive association between serum estradiol and serum inhibin B. This association did not seem to be LH driven. Figure 1A-D Estradiol, Inhibin B, LH30, and SHBG versus age
Research Interests:
The incidence of many hormone-dependent diseases, including testicular cancer, has sharply increased in all high-income countries during the 20th century. This is not fully explained by established risk factors. Concurrent, increasing... more
The incidence of many hormone-dependent diseases, including testicular cancer, has sharply increased in all high-income countries during the 20th century. This is not fully explained by established risk factors. Concurrent, increasing exposure to antiandrogenic environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in fetal life may partially explain this trend. This systematic review assessed available evidence regarding the association between environmental EDC exposure and risk of testicular cancer (seminomas and nonseminomas). Following PRISMA guidelines, a search of English peer-reviewed literature published prior to December 14, 2020 in the databases PubMed and Embase® was performed. Among the 279 identified records, 19 were eligible for quality assessment and 10 for further meta-analysis. The completeness of reporting was high across papers, but over 50% were considered subject to potential risk of bias. Mean age at diagnosis was 31.9 years. None considered effects of EDC multip...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
INTRODUCTION Bisphenol A (BPA) is frequently used in the production of plastics. It is an endocrine disruptor, and BPA exposure in mice has been associated with reduced offspring growth due to insufficient milk production. However, human... more
INTRODUCTION Bisphenol A (BPA) is frequently used in the production of plastics. It is an endocrine disruptor, and BPA exposure in mice has been associated with reduced offspring growth due to insufficient milk production. However, human studies of associations between BPA exposure and duration of breastfeeding are sparse. METHODS Pregnant women from the Odense Child Cohort (n = 725) donated a third trimester morning urine sample, which was analyzed for BPA by LC-MS/MS. Information about duration of exclusive and any breastfeeding was obtained through questionnaires three and 18 months postpartum, and a subgroup of women responded to weekly text messages about breastfeeding. Associations between pregnancy BPA exposure and duration of breastfeeding were analyzed using Cox regression adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS The median urine BPA concentration was 1.29 ng/mL. Compared to women within the lowest tertile of BPA exposure, women in the second and third tertile were slightly more likely to terminate breastfeeding at any given time; HRs (95% CI) were 1.05 (0.87; 1.26) and 1.06 (0.89; 1.27), respectively, and to terminate exclusive breastfeeding at any time up to 20 weeks after birth, HRs (95% CI) were 1.07 (0.88; 1.28) and 1.06 (0.88; 1.27), respectively. However, confidence intervals were also compatible with no effect or even a protective effect. DISCUSSION This study indicated that high BPA exposure in pregnancy was associated with shorter duration of breastfeeding. Although our findings were not statistically significant, all estimates were above one suggesting increased risk of early breastfeeding termination with high exposure. Using a single spot morning urine sample to measure BPA has likely caused imprecision as it might not adequately reflect long term exposure. Future studies should consider measuring BPA more than once, including other timepoints during pregnancy and after birth.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Adolescent, Medicine, Denmark, Humans, Child, and 14 moreTestosterone, Puberty, Female, Male, Clinical Sciences, Longitudinal Studies, Urinary System, Androgen, Environmental Pollutants, Environmental Exposure, Androstenedione, Child preschool, Paediatrics and reproductive medicine, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate
Context Minipuberty, a period of a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in both sexes, enables evaluation of gonadal function in infants suspected of hypogonadism. However, female minipuberty remains... more
Context Minipuberty, a period of a transient activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in both sexes, enables evaluation of gonadal function in infants suspected of hypogonadism. However, female minipuberty remains poorly elucidated. Objective We aimed to establish continuous reference ranges for the most commonly used reproductive hormones and to evaluate the dynamics of the HPG axis in females aged 0 to 1 year. Design The COPENHAGEN Minipuberty Study (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02784184), a longitudinal, prospective cohort study. Setting Healthy infants from Copenhagen. Patients or Other Participants A total of 98 healthy, term female infants followed with 6 examinations including venipuncture during the first year of life. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Serum concentrations of LH, FSH, inhibin B, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and SHBG were quantified using highly sensitive methods in 266 serum samples. Results Reference ranges were established for LH, FSH, inhibin B, AMH, E1, E2, and SHBG. Two peaks were observed in normalized mean curves for all hormones. The first peaks were timed around postnatal days 15 to 27 followed by a general nadir for all hormones around days 58 to 92. The second peaks occurred around days 107 to 125 for inhibin B, AMH, E1, E2, and SHBG and days 164 to 165 for LH and FSH. Conclusions We present age-related, continuous reference ranges of the most commonly used reproductive hormones and present novel data revealing a biphasic and prolonged female minipuberty. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02784184
Research Interests:
Human biomonitoring (HBM) data in Europe are often fragmented and collected in different EU countries and sampling periods. Exposure levels for children and adult women in Europe were evaluated over time. For the period 2000–2010,... more
Human biomonitoring (HBM) data in Europe are often fragmented and collected in different EU countries and sampling periods. Exposure levels for children and adult women in Europe were evaluated over time. For the period 2000–2010, literature and aggregated data were collected in a harmonized way across studies. Between 2011–2012, biobanked samples from the DEMOCOPHES project were used. For 2014–2021, HBM data were generated within the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. Time patterns on internal exposure were evaluated visually and statistically using the 50th and 90th percentiles (P50/P90) for phthalates/DINCH and organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in children (5–12 years), and cadmium, bisphenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in women (24–52 years). Restricted phthalate metabolites show decreasing patterns for children. Phthalate substitute, DINCH, shows a non-significant increasing pattern. For OPFRs, no trends were statistically significant. For women, BPA shows a clear...
Research Interests:
Phthalates are mainly used as plasticizers and are associated inter alia with adverse effects on reproductive functions. While more and more national programs in Europe have started monitoring internal exposure to phthalates and its... more
Phthalates are mainly used as plasticizers and are associated inter alia with adverse effects on reproductive functions. While more and more national programs in Europe have started monitoring internal exposure to phthalates and its substitute 1,2-Cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (DINCH), the comparability of results from such existing human biomonitoring (HBM) studies across Europe is challenging. They differ widely in time periods, study samples, degree of geographical coverage, design, analytical methodology, biomarker selection, and analytical quality assurance level. The HBM4EU initiative has gathered existing HBM data of 29 studies from participating countries, covering all European regions and Israel. The data were prepared and aggregated by a harmonized procedure with the aim to describe—as comparably as possible—the EU-wide general population’s internal exposure to phthalates from the years 2005 to 2019. Most data were available from Northern (up to 6 studies and up to 13 time ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
IntroductionBreast tissue in infancy is a rather undescribed phenomenon. We aimed to describe the prevalence and progression of palpable breast tissue in healthy boys and girls aged 0-1 years and to evaluate clinical markers, individual... more
IntroductionBreast tissue in infancy is a rather undescribed phenomenon. We aimed to describe the prevalence and progression of palpable breast tissue in healthy boys and girls aged 0-1 years and to evaluate clinical markers, individual serum hormone concentrations as well as combined hormone profiles as determinants of the persistence of breast tissue.MethodsIn total, 233 term infants (119 boys, 114 girls) were included and followed from birth until 1 year of age in The COPENHAGEN Minipuberty Study (ClinicalTrials.gov #NTC02784184). Infants were followed up to six times with a clinical examination and serum sampling. Principal component analyses (PCAs) produced combined hormone profiles.ResultsA total of 98% of all infants aged 0-1 year exhibited breast tissue at some point. 50% still had breast tissue present at 0.5-0.6 years in girls and 0.3-0.4 years in boys (‘persistent’). At one year, more girls than boys had breast tissue present (p=0.010). Most clinical and hormonal markers ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Information about the effects of phthalates and non-phthalate substitute cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (HEXAMOLL® DINCH) on children’s neurodevelopment is limited. The aim of the present research is to evaluate the... more
Information about the effects of phthalates and non-phthalate substitute cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (HEXAMOLL® DINCH) on children’s neurodevelopment is limited. The aim of the present research is to evaluate the association between phthalate/HEXAMOLL® DINCH exposure and child neurodevelopment in three European cohorts involved in HBM4EU Aligned Studies. Participating subjects were school-aged children belonging to the Northern Adriatic cohort II (NAC-II), Italy, Odense Child Cohort (OCC), Denmark, and PCB cohort, Slovakia. In each cohort, children’s neurodevelopment was assessed through the Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient score (FSIQ) of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale of Children test using three different editions. The children’s urine samples, collected for one point in time concurrently with the neurodevelopmental evaluation, were analyzed for several phthalates/HEXAMOLL® DINCH biomarkers. The relation between phthalates/HEXAMOLL® DINCH and FSIQ was expl...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
BackgroundThe hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal (HPG) axis governs sexual maturation and reproductive function in humans. In early postnatal life, it is transiently active during which circulating sex steroids reach adult levels. While this... more
BackgroundThe hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal (HPG) axis governs sexual maturation and reproductive function in humans. In early postnatal life, it is transiently active during which circulating sex steroids reach adult levels. While this so‐called minipuberty represents a universal phenomenon in infants of both sexes, its role for early maturation and growth remains incompletely understood.ObjectivesTo provide normative data on auxology as well as serum and urinary hormone levels in healthy, full‐term infants throughout the first year of life and to investigate associations of postnatal HPG axis dynamics as well as hormonal, genetic and environmental exposures with early genital development and growth.PopulationHealthy, Danish, full‐term, singleton newborns including their parents.DesignSingle‐centre, prospective, observational longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort.MethodsNewborns were followed with six repeated clinical examinations during a one‐year follow‐up period. An umbilica...
Research Interests:
BackgroundThe hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal (HPG) axis governs sexual maturation and reproductive function in humans. In early postnatal life, it is transiently active during which circulating sex steroids reach adult levels. While this... more
BackgroundThe hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal (HPG) axis governs sexual maturation and reproductive function in humans. In early postnatal life, it is transiently active during which circulating sex steroids reach adult levels. While this so‐called minipuberty represents a universal phenomenon in infants of both sexes, its role for early maturation and growth remains incompletely understood.ObjectivesTo provide normative data on auxology as well as serum and urinary hormone levels in healthy, full‐term infants throughout the first year of life and to investigate associations of postnatal HPG axis dynamics as well as hormonal, genetic and environmental exposures with early genital development and growth.PopulationHealthy, Danish, full‐term, singleton newborns including their parents.DesignSingle‐centre, prospective, observational longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort.MethodsNewborns were followed with six repeated clinical examinations during a one‐year follow‐up period. An umbilica...
Research Interests:
STUDY QUESTION Are maternal serum phthalate metabolite, phenol and paraben concentrations measured at 10–17 weeks of gestation associated with male infant genital developmental outcomes, specifically cryptorchidism, anogenital distance... more
STUDY QUESTION Are maternal serum phthalate metabolite, phenol and paraben concentrations measured at 10–17 weeks of gestation associated with male infant genital developmental outcomes, specifically cryptorchidism, anogenital distance (AGD), penile length and testicular descent distance, at birth and postnatally? SUMMARY ANSWER Maternal serum bisphenol A (BPA) concentration at 10–17 weeks of gestation was positively associated with congenital or postnatally acquired cryptorchidism, and n-propyl paraben (n-PrP) concentration was associated with shorter AGD from birth to 24 months of age. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Male reproductive disorders are increasing in prevalence, which may reflect environmental influences on foetal testicular development. Animal studies have implicated phthalates, BPA and parabens, to which humans are ubiquitously exposed. However, epidemiological studies have generated conflicting results and have often been limited by small sample size and/or measurement of che...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Background Several chemical UV filters/absorbers ('UV filters' hereafter) have endocrine-disrupting properties in vitro and in vivo. Exposure to these chemicals, especially during prenatal development, is of concern. Objectives To... more
Background Several chemical UV filters/absorbers ('UV filters' hereafter) have endocrine-disrupting properties in vitro and in vivo. Exposure to these chemicals, especially during prenatal development, is of concern. Objectives To examine maternal exposure to UV filters, associations with maternal thyroid hormone, with growth factor concentrations as well as to birth outcomes. Methods Prospective study of 183 pregnant women with 2nd trimester serum and urine samples available. Maternal concentrations of the chemical UV filters benzophenone-1 (BP-1) and benzophenone-3 (BP-3) in urine and 4-hydroxy-benzophenone (4-HBP) in serum were measured by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The relationships between 2nd trimester maternal concentrations of the three chemical UV filters and maternal serum concentrations of thyroid hormones and growth factors, as well as birth outcomes (weight, height, and head and abdominal circumferences) were examined. Results Pos...
Research Interests: Physiology, Medicine, Thyroid, Journal Article, Thyroid Hormones, and 3 moreGrowth Factors, Hormone, and Fetus
Research Interests:
Benzophenone-3 (aka BP-3, oxybenzone) is added to sunscreens, plastics and some coatings to filter UV radiation. The suspected endocrine disruptor BP-3 has been detected in the air and settled dust of homes and is expected to redistribute... more
Benzophenone-3 (aka BP-3, oxybenzone) is added to sunscreens, plastics and some coatings to filter UV radiation. The suspected endocrine disruptor BP-3 has been detected in the air and settled dust of homes and is expected to redistribute from its original sources to other indoor compartments, including clothing. Given its physical-chemical properties, we hypothesized that dermal uptake from clothing could contribute to the body burden of this compound. First, cotton shirts were exposed to air at an elevated concentration of BP-3 for 32 days; the final air concentration was 4.4 μg/m3. Then three participants wore the exposed shirts for 3 hours. After this 3-h exposure, participants wore their usual clothing while collecting urine samples for the next 48 hours. Urine was analyzed for BP-3 and a metabolite, BP-1, and six other UV filters. The rate of urinary excretion of the sum of BP-1 and BP-3 increased for all participants during and following the 3-hour exposure. The summed mass o...
Research Interests:
OBJECTIVE Several phthalates have been restricted/banned due to their adverse endocrine disrupting properties. The use of other phthalates and substitutes has increased. Here we examine the current exposure to phthalates in family trios... more
OBJECTIVE Several phthalates have been restricted/banned due to their adverse endocrine disrupting properties. The use of other phthalates and substitutes has increased. Here we examine the current exposure to phthalates in family trios comprised of infants and their parents and in infants exclusive breastfed and following introduction to a mixed diet. METHODS Metabolites of 15 phthalates and two substitutes, di(2-ethylhexyl)-teraphthalate (DEHTP) and diisononyl-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH), were measured in urine samples collected from >100 infants and their parents and in paired urine samples collected from 67 infants, while they were exclusively breastfed and when they got mixed diet. RESULTS Among infants and their parents, metabolites of nine out of 15 phthalates and both substitutes were detected in >74% of all samples. Estimated daily intake (DI) calculated as µg/kg/day, showed similar exposure levels among infants and their parents for several of the substances, and infants were more exposed to DEHTP than their mothers. Significantly higher estimated DIs were observed for some low-molecular phthalates in infants exclusively breastfed. In contrast, comparable estimated DIs were observed for many other phthalates and DEHTP regardless of feeding status. For most of the substances, the within-family variation, was lower than the between-family variation. Likewise, the within-infant variation on exclusively breast vs. mixed diet was lower than the between-infant variation. Independent of food status, some infants were concurrently exposed to almost all the measured phthalates and substitutes in higher amounts than others. CONCLUSION Surprisingly, irrespective of diet status infants were exposed to several phthalates and substitutes some of which have been regulated for years. Exposure patterns and levels were similar in infants and their parents. Importantly, risk assessment based on new refined reference doses (RfD-AA) exceeded the safety level for anti-androgenic effects in a number of infants and parents, which is of concern.
Research Interests:
Background Reduced androgen action during early fetal development has been suggested as the origin of reproductive disorders comprised within the testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS). This hypothesis has been supported by studies in rats... more
Background Reduced androgen action during early fetal development has been suggested as the origin of reproductive disorders comprised within the testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS). This hypothesis has been supported by studies in rats demonstrating that normal male development and adult reproductive function depend on sufficient androgen exposure during a sensitive fetal period, called the masculinization programming window (MPW). The main aim of this study was therefore to examine the effects of manipulating androgen production during different timepoints during early human fetal testis development to identify the existence and timing of a possible window of androgen sensitivity resembling the MPW in rats. Methods The effects of experimentally reduced androgen exposure during different periods of human fetal testis development and function were examined using an established and validated human ex vivo tissue culture model. The androgen production was reduced by treatment with ke...
Research Interests:
Objective: To examine whether selected endocrine disrupting chemicals were present in pregnant women and passed through the placental barrier to amniotic fluid, potentially exposing the developing fetus. Methods: Paired samples of... more
Objective: To examine whether selected endocrine disrupting chemicals were present in pregnant women and passed through the placental barrier to amniotic fluid, potentially exposing the developing fetus. Methods: Paired samples of maternal serum, urine and amniotic fluid were concurrently collected (<1 h) from 200 pregnant women (age >18 years) with a singleton pregnancy and undergoing amniocentesis between gestational weeks 12 – 36. The concentration of six different parabens, seven phenols, 31 metabolites from 15 phthalate diesters and the polychlorinated substance triclocarban were analyzed by isotope diluted TurboFlowliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Concentrations of all included compounds were highest in maternal urine followed by serum, and lowest in amniotic fluid. Of the six parabens measured in amniotic fluid, methylparaben (MeP) and ethylparaben (EtP) were detectable most often (87% and 33% of the samples, respectively). Of the seven phenols measured, three (2,4-dichlorphenol, 2,5-dichlorphenol, 2-propylphenol) were detectable in the range of 14–21% of the amniotic fluid samples, at low concentrations (<0.12 ng/ml). Two secondary phthalates metabolites, mono-(2-carboxymethyl-hexyl) phthalate and mono-carboxy-iso-octyl phthalate were each present in ≤15% of the amniotic fluid samples at concentrations 2–5 times lower than in maternal serum and 20–100 times lower than in maternal urine. A modest statistically significant correlation between the levels of MeP and EtP was detected in paired maternal urine-amniotic fluid samples was detected (Spearman rMeP: 0.246; rEtP: 0.364). Likewise, the concentration of mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) in paired maternal urine and amniotic fluid samples indicated a modest statistically significant correlation (Spearman rMEP: 0.264), driven by detectable levels of MEP in only 3% of the amniotic fluid samples. Conclusions: In general, the included parabens, phenols and phthalates were effectively metabolized and excreted via the urine, which was the matrix that reflected the highest detectable levels. The detectable levels of several included parabens and phthalates in human amniotic fluid calls for further investigations of the toxicokinetic and potential endocrine disrupting properties of individual and multiple endocrine disruptors in order to better assess the risk to the developing fetus.
Research Interests:
Background Bisphenol A (BPA) is a non-persistent chemical with endocrine disrupting abilities used in a variety of consumer products. Fetal exposure to BPA is of concern due to the elevated sensitivity, which particularly relates to the... more
Background Bisphenol A (BPA) is a non-persistent chemical with endocrine disrupting abilities used in a variety of consumer products. Fetal exposure to BPA is of concern due to the elevated sensitivity, which particularly relates to the developing brain. Several epidemiological studies have investigated the association between prenatal BPA exposure and neurodevelopment, but the results have been inconclusive. Objective To assess the association between in utero exposure to BPA and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD-) symptoms and symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 2 and 5-year old Danish children. Method In the prospective Odense Child Cohort, BPA was measured in urine samples collected in gestational week 28 and adjusted for osmolality. ADHD and ASD symptoms were assessed with the use of the ADHD scale and ASD scale, respectively, derived from the Child Behaviour Checklist preschool version (CBCL/1½-5) at ages 2 and 5 years. Negative binomial and multiple log...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Additional file 2. Results of the dose-response of Abiraterone acetate treatment. This file shows ex vivo cultured HFAs steroid hormone levels following treatment with 1 μM and 10 μM Abiraterone acetate under basal conditions.
Additional file 3. Results of the dose-response of Osilodrostat treatment. This file shows ex vivo cultured HFAs steroid hormone levels following treatment with 1 μM and 10 μM Osilodrostat under basal conditions.
Supplementary file 1 to 3.<br>
Research Interests:
Human biomonitoring has become a pivotal tool for supporting chemicals’ policies. It provides information on real-life human exposures and is increasingly used to prioritize chemicals of health concern and to evaluate the success of... more
Human biomonitoring has become a pivotal tool for supporting chemicals’ policies. It provides information on real-life human exposures and is increasingly used to prioritize chemicals of health concern and to evaluate the success of chemical policies. Europe has launched the ambitious REACH program in 2007 to improve the protection of human health and the environment. In October 2020 the EU commission published its new chemicals strategy for sustainability towards a toxic-free environment. The European Parliament called upon the commission to collect human biomonitoring data to support chemical’s risk assessment and risk management. This manuscript describes the organization of the first HBM4EU-aligned studies that obtain comparable human biomonitoring (HBM) data of European citizens to monitor their internal exposure to environmental chemicals. The HBM4EU-aligned studies build on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies. The HBM4EU-aligned studie...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Phthalates are endocrine disruptors of the reproductive system and suspected to influence many other organ and hormone systems. They are also semi-volatile organic compounds present in the gas phase in the environment. Their mode of... more
Phthalates are endocrine disruptors of the reproductive system and suspected to influence many other organ and hormone systems. They are also semi-volatile organic compounds present in the gas phase in the environment. Their mode of action has been investigated in numerous in vitro studies. Multi-well culture plates are typically used to study phthalates in cell cultures. In a pilot study, we observed evidence of phthalate migration in 24-well culture plates. As this has not previously been described, we investigated the phenomenon in more detail. Primary human thyroid epithelial cell cultures (n = 8 cultures) were exposed to either di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) or di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Measurement of phthalate metabolites by mass spectrometry demonstrated that the short-branched DEP was able to migrate to adjacent wells when added to cell culture plates. DnBP also seemed to be able to migrate, unlike the long-bran...
Research Interests:
Phthalates comprise a large class of chemicals used in a variety of consumer products. Several have anti-androgenic properties and in rodents prenatal exposure has been associated with reduced anogenital distance (AGD); the distance from... more
Phthalates comprise a large class of chemicals used in a variety of consumer products. Several have anti-androgenic properties and in rodents prenatal exposure has been associated with reduced anogenital distance (AGD); the distance from the anus to the genitals in male offspring. Few human studies have been conducted but associations between the anti-androgenic phthalates and male AGD have been reported. To study the association between phthalate exposure in late pregnancy in Danish women pregnant in 2010-2012 and AGD in their infants at 3 months of age (N=273). In the Odense child cohort urinary concentrations of 12 phthalate metabolites of di-ethyl, di-n-butyl-, di-iso-butyl-, di-(2-ethylhexyl)-, butyl-benzyl- and di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DEP, DnBP, DiBP, DEHP, BBzP and DiNP, respectively) were measured among 245 mothers to boys at approximately gestational week 28 (range 20.4-30.4) and adjusted for osmolality. AGD, penile width and weight were measured 3 months after the expected...