Maternal and cord blood potentially toxic elements levels and induction of inflammation and oxidative stress markers in newborns: A mixture analysis

Prenatal exposure to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) poses significant risks to fetal development, impacting inflammation and oxidative stress markers in cord blood. While these effects are documented, comprehensive research on these biomarkers remains limited. This study bridges the gap by exploring the relationship between PTE exposure and these markers, offering valuable insights into maternal and child health. This study analyzed blood samples from 1423 mother-infant pairs to explore the impacts of PTEs on oxidative stress and inflammation. We measured concentrations of 13 PTEs in both maternal and umbilical cord blood, alongside markers such as TNFα, IL-6, IL-8, TGFβ, and Pro-oxidant-Antioxidant Balance (PAB). Multiple linear regression models were applied to examine associations between individual PTEs and oxidative stress and inflammation markers, while Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) analysis and quantile g-computation assessed the cumulative effects of PTEs on these outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders. The results reveal substantial positive associations between prenatal PTE exposure and elevated levels of inflammation and oxidative stress markers. Specifically, Hg, Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, and As in both cord blood and maternal blood were positively correlated with increased TNFα levels, while Al and Ni were notably linked with higher IL-8 levels. Oxidative stress, indicated by elevated PAB, was significantly associated with Pb, As, Ni, Hg, Cd, and Cr. The g-comp analysis highlighted the compounded effects of multiple PTEs, showing significant positive associations with TNFα, TGFβ, and PAB in both umbilical cord blood and maternal blood. The BKMR analysis demonstrated that metal exposure from maternal blood was more strongly associated with increases in oxidative stress and inflammation markers (TNFα, IL-8, and PAB) compared to exposure to PTEs from cord blood alone. Overall, these findings underscore the critical role of prenatal PTE exposure in influencing fetal health, marking an important advance in understanding environmental impacts on pregnancy and fetal development.