Publications by authors named "Julianne C Botelho"

Previous studies reported that exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), largely in higher exposed populations, were associated with elevated risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, studies evaluating PCOS risk in populations with lower background exposures to PFAS are limited. This study aimed to examine the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and PCOS risk among women attending a U.

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Study Question: What is the longitudinal association between gestational phthalate exposure and in vivo placental outcomes?

Summary Answer: Phthalates were adversely associated with placental microvasculature, stiffness, and presence of calcification, with different metabolites associated with different outcomes.

What Is Known Already: Phthalate exposure is ubiquitous and implicated as a contributor to adverse pregnancy outcomes, possibly through impacts on the placenta.

Study Design, Size, Duration: A total of 303 women were recruited in early pregnancy and prospectively followed for up to eight visits across gestation in the Human Placenta and Phthalates study.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pregnant women exposed to environmental chemicals like phthalates and PAHs may face risks of negative outcomes for their newborns, with potential links to DNA methylation changes in cord blood and placental tissues.
  • A study involving 75 pregnant participants included measuring 37 chemical biomarkers and analyzing their association with DNA methylation using advanced techniques like the Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip.
  • Results showed specific chemicals, including PAH metabolites and bisphenol A, correlated with altered DNA methylation in both maternal and fetal placenta, indicating a possible mechanism behind these adverse outcomes.
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Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in commercial and consumer products.

Objective: We evaluated PFAS exposure in relation to incidence and growth of uterine leiomyomata (UL), hormone-dependent neoplasms that are associated with severe gynecologic morbidity.

Methods: We studied 1158 participants in the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids, a Detroit-based prospective cohort study of Black females aged 23-35 years at enrollment (2010-2012).

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  • Emerging research indicates that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in personal care products can negatively impact health, particularly for Black individuals who use more products and have high asthma rates.
  • This study investigates the link between EDC exposure and product usage in 110 Black children with asthma, aged 8-17, in Baltimore City, examining their recent consumer habits and urine concentrations of specific EDCs.
  • Results show that using air fresheners, scented candles, and canned foods is associated with higher levels of certain EDCs, highlighting a potential risk factor for these children’s health.
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  • Researchers studied the link between persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and perceived stress in Black women, using data from 1,394 participants over five years.
  • They measured stress using the Perceived Stress Scale and analyzed the presence of various EDCs in plasma samples.
  • Results indicated that while the overall mixture of EDCs did not show a strong correlation with stress levels, certain individual EDCs were linked to higher or lower perceived stress scores, though findings varied over time.
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are related to various adverse health outcomes, and food is a common source of PFAS exposure. Dietary sources of PFAS have not been adequately explored among U.S.

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Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals with neurotoxic properties. PFAS have been associated with depressive symptoms among women in some studies, but little research has evaluated the effects of PFAS mixtures. Further, no study has investigated interactions of PFAS-depression associations by perceived stress, which has been shown to modify the effects of PFAS on other health outcomes.

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Background: Prior studies suggest that prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposures are associated with shorter breastfeeding duration. Studies assessing PFAS mixtures and populations in North America are sparse.

Methods: We quantified PFAS concentrations in maternal plasma collected during pregnancy in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (2010-2017).

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Previous studies have examined the predictors of PFAS concentrations among pregnant women and children. However, no study has explored the predictors of preconception PFAS concentrations among couples in the United States. This study included 572 females and 279 males (249 couples) who attended a U.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure was associated with changes in thyroid function in pregnant mothers and the general population. Limited such evidence exists in other susceptible populations such as females with fertility problems. This cross-sectional study included 287 females seeking medically assisted reproduction at a fertility clinic in Massachusetts, United States, between 2005 and 2019.

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Prenatal per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure is associated with adverse birth outcomes. There is an absence of evidence on the relationship between maternal and paternal preconception PFAS exposure and birth outcomes. This study included 312 mothers and 145 fathers with a singleton live birth from a preconception cohort of subfertile couples seeking fertility treatment at a U.

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Background: Humans are exposed to phthalates, a class of non-persistent chemicals, through multiple products, including personal care and cosmetics. Associations between specific phthalates and product use have been inconsistent. However, determining these connections could provide avenues for exposure reduction.

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  • Firefighters are exposed to PFAS, and this study compared PFAS serum levels in current and new recruits to track changes over time.
  • 99 incumbent firefighters and 55 recruits were tested for PFAS levels in 2015-2016, with follow-ups for recruits after 20-37 months, using various analytical methods.
  • Results showed that incumbents had lower PFAS levels than recruits, and most PFAS levels decreased in male recruits over time, with no connection found between firefighting exposure and PFAS levels.
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  • * The study aimed to assess the impact of chemicals BBP and PFOA on breast density in 376 Chilean girls, measuring biomarker levels during specific pubertal stages.
  • * Results indicated that higher serum PFOA at certain puberty stages had mixed effects on breast density, with no significant relationship found for urine MBzP.
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  • * The Golestan Cohort Study began in 2004 and tracked cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, matching them with controls based on several factors, and analyzed urinary biomarkers related to cancer exposure.
  • * Significant associations were found between certain metabolites and esophageal cancer, with higher odds ratios especially noted among tobacco users, suggesting both tobacco and some non-tobacco chemicals contribute to cancer risk.
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent organic pollutants detectable in the serum of most U.S. adults.

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Human exposure to phthalates is widespread, but assessment of variability across pregnancy has been hampered by short half-lives of phthalate biomarkers and a few repeated measures in prior studies. We aimed to characterize the variability and longitudinal profiles of phthalate and replacement biomarkers across pregnancy. Within the Human Placenta and Phthalates Study, 303 pregnant women provided urine samples at up to 8 visits across gestation.

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Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a component of firefighting foams used at military installations. Although high PFAS exposures have been related to cancer risks among civilian populations, the effects for military personnel are unclear.

Objectives: We investigated associations between serum PFAS concentrations and testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) among U.

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Background: Free thyroxine (FT4) measurement is one of the most requested tests in patient care for diagnosing and treating thyroid-related illnesses. Equilibrium dialysis (ED) is considered the "gold standard" for FT4 measurement; however, several factors have a profound effect on the reliability of FT4 assays and require special consideration.

Methods: In the current study, we focused on evaluating critical factors that could contribute to reporting errors, such as adsorption of thyroxine (T4) to labware surfaces, stability of serum samples, stock solutions, and calibrator storage conditions, as well as the solvents used to prepare T4 solutions.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), widely used in industrial and consumer products, are suspected metabolic disruptors. We examined the association between a PFAS mixture during pregnancy and postpartum weight retention in 482 participants from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. PFAS concentrations, including perfluorohexane sulfonate, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoate, were quantified in maternal plasma collected at ~28 gestational weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pregnant individuals are widely exposed to phthalates and their replacement chemicals, which may negatively affect fetal growth during early pregnancy.
  • A study involving 254 pregnancies analyzed the effects of these chemicals on fetal measurements, such as head and abdominal circumference, using urine samples taken during the first trimester.
  • The findings revealed that higher levels of phthalate and replacement biomarkers in urine were linked to reduced fetal growth, particularly impacting head and abdominal circumferences.
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We aimed to investigate the joint, class-specific, and individual impacts of (i) PFAS, (ii) toxic metals and metalloids (referred to collectively as "metals"), and (iii) essential elements on birth outcomes in a prospective pregnancy cohort using both established and recent mixture modeling approaches. Participants included 537 mother-child pairs from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. Concentrations of 6 metals and 5 PFAS were measured in maternal toenail clippings and plasma, respectively.

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