Abstract
Humans have been exposed to many polyhalogenated biphenyls including PBB. The effects of PBB exposure on P-450 may be the most sensitive indicator of biologic effect and has never been studied in man. We examined the effects of PBB on P-450 as determined by the caffeine breath test (CBT) in healthy nonsmoking adults from rural Michigan with (+) and without (−) detectable PBB serum levels and prepubescent children with known perinatal exposure to PBB. The results were compared to the CBT results previously obtained from nonexposed urban adult non-smokers and age-matched children.
The nonexp. and PBB exp. children had similar CBT data. The adult groups were not significantly different from each other except for the rural adults +PBB levels who had significantly higher CBT values than the nonexposed urban adults(P<.01). Future studies are needed to determine if there is a difference in P-450 function as determined by the CBT between the rural and urban adult populations who are nonexposed to PBB or exposed with non-detectable PBB serum levels, or exposed in the perinatal period.
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Lambert, C., Hampherey, H. & Schoeller, D. THE EFFECTS OF POLYBROMINATED BIPHENYLS (PBS) ON THE HUMAN CYTOCHROME P-450 SYSTEM (P-450). Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 258 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00546
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00546