Prenatal lead exposure and childhood lung function: Influence of maternal cortisol and child sex

Maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disruption in pregnancy may contribute to the programming of childhood respiratory disease and may modify the effect of chemical toxins, like lead (Pb), on lung development. Child sex may further modify these effects. We sought to prospectively examine associations between maternal HPA axis disruption, prenatal Pb and childhood lung function and explore potential effect modification by maternal cortisol and child sex on the association between prenatal Pb and lung function outcomes. Analyses included 222 mothers and children enrolled in a longitudinal birth cohort study in Mexico City. Maternal diurnal salivary cortisol was assessed in pregnancy; cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal slope were calculated. Blood Pb was measured during the second trimester of pregnancy. Post-bronchodilator lung function was tested at ages 8–11 years. Associations were modeled using generalized linear models with interaction terms, adjusting for covariates. A higher (flatter) diurnal slope was associated with lower FEV1/FVC ratio (β: 0.433, 95%CI [-0.766, −0.101]). We did not find any main effect associations between prenatal Pb and lung function outcomes. We report an interaction between Pb and cortisol in relation to FEV1/FVC and FEF25–75% (pinteraction