Biomaterial Database

Blood lead and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin in mothers and newborn infants. 1988

N Milman, and J M Christensen, and K K Ibsen

Department of Medicine P, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Blood lead (B-Pb) and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) were measured in 78 mothers at delivery and in cord blood from 48 infants living in an area with low atmospheric Pb pollution. Median B-Pb was 35 micrograms/l (range 6-63) in mothers and 20 micrograms/l (range 6-50) in infants (P less than 0.0001), and the values were significantly correlated (rs = 0.73, P less than 0.0001). Mean B-Pb infant/B-Pb mother ratio was 0.7 (range 0.2-1.4). Mothers had lower ZPP (median 1.6 microgram/g Hb) than infants (median 2.9) (P less than 0.0001). ZPP in mothers showed a stronger relation to iron status (serum transferrin, serum ferritin) than to B-Pb (rs = 0.22, P less than 0.05). B-Pb was correlated to serum iron both in mothers (rs = 0.28, P less than 0.02) and infants (rs = 0.33, P less than 0.03). The present B-Pb levels are lower than previously reported in Scandinavia, probably due to the general decline in atmospheric Pb pollution.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007854	Lead	A soft, grayish metal with poisonous salts; atomic number 82, atomic weight 207.2, symbol Pb.
D008297	Male		Males
D008431	Maternal-Fetal Exchange	Exchange of substances between the maternal blood and the fetal blood at the PLACENTA via PLACENTAL CIRCULATION. The placental barrier excludes microbial or viral transmission.	Transplacental Exposure,Exchange, Maternal-Fetal,Exposure, Transplacental,Maternal Fetal Exchange
D011166	Porphyrins	A group of compounds containing the porphin structure, four pyrrole rings connected by methine bridges in a cyclic configuration to which a variety of side chains are attached. The nature of the side chain is indicated by a prefix, as uroporphyrin, hematoporphyrin, etc. The porphyrins, in combination with iron, form the heme component in biologically significant compounds such as hemoglobin and myoglobin.	Porphyrin
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011524	Protoporphyrins	Porphyrins with four methyl, two vinyl, and two propionic acid side chains attached to the pyrrole rings. Protoporphyrin IX occurs in hemoglobin, myoglobin, and most of the cytochromes.
D005260	Female		Females
D005293	Ferritins	Iron-containing proteins that are widely distributed in animals, plants, and microorganisms. Their major function is to store IRON in a nontoxic bioavailable form. Each ferritin molecule consists of ferric iron in a hollow protein shell (APOFERRITINS) made of 24 subunits of various sequences depending on the species and tissue types.	Basic Isoferritin,Ferritin,Isoferritin,Isoferritin, Basic
D005312	Fetal Blood	Blood of the fetus. Exchange of nutrients and waste between the fetal and maternal blood occurs via the PLACENTA. The cord blood is blood contained in the umbilical vessels (UMBILICAL CORD) at the time of delivery.	Cord Blood,Umbilical Cord Blood,Blood, Cord,Blood, Fetal,Blood, Umbilical Cord,Bloods, Cord,Bloods, Fetal,Bloods, Umbilical Cord,Cord Blood, Umbilical,Cord Bloods,Cord Bloods, Umbilical,Fetal Bloods,Umbilical Cord Bloods