Prenatal Lead Exposure, Omega-Aminolevulinic Acid, And Schizophrenia

By Opler, Mark G. A.

Book Id: WPLBN0000171776
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.1 MB
Reproduction Date: 2005

Title:	Prenatal Lead Exposure, Omega-Aminolevulinic Acid, And Schizophrenia
Author:	Opler, Mark G. A.
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Government publications, United Nations., United Nations. Office for Disarmament Affairs
Collections:	Government Library Collection, Disarmament Documents
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	United Nations- Office for Disarmament Affairs (Unoda)


Citation APA MLA Chicago G. A. Ople, B. M. (n.d.). Prenatal Lead Exposure, Omega-Aminolevulinic Acid, And Schizophrenia. Retrieved from https://self.gutenberg.org/

Description
Government Reference Publication

Excerpt
Excerpt: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder of unknown etiology. Recent reports suggest that a number of environmental factors during prenatal development may be associated with schizophrenia. We tested the hypothesis that environmental lead exposure may be associated with schizophrenia using archived serum samples from a cohort of live births enrolled between 1959 and 1966 in Oakland, California. Cases of schizophrenia spectrum disorder were identified and matched to controls. A biologic marker of lead exposure, ?-aminolevulinic acid (?-ALA), was determined in second-trimester serum samples of 44 cases and 75 controls. ?-ALA was stratified into high and low categories, yielding 66 subjects in the high category, corresponding to a blood lead level (BPb) ? 15 micrograms/dL, and 53 in the low category, corresponding to BPb < 15 micrograms/dL. Using logistic regression, the odds ratio (OR) for schizophrenia associated with higher ?-ALA was 1.83 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87?3.87; p = 0.1]. Adjusting for covariates gave an OR of 2.43 (95% CI, 0.99?5.96; p = 0.051). This finding suggests that the effects of prenatal exposure to lead and/or elevated ?-ALA may extend into later life and must be further investigated as risk factors for adult psychiatric diseases. Key words: ?-aminolevulinic acid, developmental, lead, Pb, prenatal, prospective, psychosis, schizophrenia. Environ Health Perspect 112:548?552 (2004). doi:10.1289/ehp.6777 [8 January 2004].