The Cincinnati Lead Studies A 36 Year Perspective

The Cincinnati Lead Studies: A 36 Year Perspective Ohio Healthy Homes Network Spring Forum Thursday, June 9, 2016 Kim N. Dietrich, Ph. D. , M. A. Professor of Epidemiology The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Lead (Pb) and Health: The Flint, Michigan ‘Crisis’ (2014 -2015)

The Cincinnati Lead Study (1979 – 2016)

The Cincinnati Lead Study (1979 -2016)

The Cincinnati Lead Study (1979 -2016) • Prospective, longitudinal study examined the early and late effects of childhood lead exposure on growth and development with a particular emphasis on central nervous system outcomes. • Longest, continuously active prospective study of lead exposure and child health and development in the world. • Data collected on exposure (blood lead concentrations), neurobehavior, child health, nutrition, environmental nurture, and sociodemographic variables on a quarterly to yearly basis since its inception.

Why Lead and the Developing Brain? Pyramidal Cells The human brain has a protracted period of development and potential vulnerability to environmental toxicants such as lead. The human cerebral cortex eventually consists of 30 billion neurons, interconnected by 64, 000 miles of axons and dendrites and more than a trillion supportive neuroglia. Lead is known to interfere with this developmental process In the womb and over at least the first five years of life.

Cincinnati Lead Study: Blood Lead Assessment

Blood Lead Concentrations in the Cincinnati Lead Study CDC “Action Level” 1979 CDC “Action Level” 1985 CDC “Action Level” 1991 CDC “Reference Level” 2012 Dietrich, et al. , Pediatrics, 1993 Dietrich, et al. Pediatrics, 1993.

Cincinnati Lead Study Findings (1979 -2016)

Early Exposure to Lead and Child IQ N = 1, 333 Low-Level Environmental Lead Exposure and Children’s Intellectual Function: An International Pooled Analysis Bruce P. Lanphear, 1, 2 Richard Hornung, 1, 2, 3 Jane Khoury, 1, 2 Kimberly Yolton, 1 Peter Baghurst, 4 David C. Bellinger, 5 Richard L. Canfield, 6 Kim N. Dietrich, 1, 2 Robert Bornschein, 2 Tom Greene, 7 Stephen J. Rothenberg, 8, 9 Herbert L. Needleman, 10 Lourdes Schnaas, 11 Gail Wasserman, 12 Joseph Graziano, 13 and Russell Roberts 14

Beyond IQ

Adolescent and Adult Anti-Social Behavior as an Outcome of Childhood Lead Poisoning

Association of Blood Lead Levels and Self-Reported Delinquency in 16 Year-Old Adolescents in the Cincinnati Lead Study Dietrich, et al. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2001

Questions from a Lead Study Cohort • Why can’t I hold onto a job? • Why can’t I get along with my girl friend/wife? • Why am I angry all of the time? • Why can’t I concentrate? • Why can’t my son/daughter stay out of trouble?

Blood Lead Concentration (ug/d. L) Blood Lead Concentration Profile of a 26 Year-Old CLS Male Subject with a History of Domestic Violence and Delinquent/Criminal Behavior Age in Months

Blood Lead Concentration (ug/d. L) Blood Lead Concentration Profile of a 26 Year-Old CLS Male Subject with a History of Adult Criminal Behavior and Repeated Incarcerations Age in Months

Lead’s Effects across the Lifespan

Does Early Exposure to Pb Leave a Long. Term Signature in the Brains and Behaviors of Adults? The Cincinnati Lead Study (1979 -2016) • Neuroimaging studies • Criminality studies

Environmental Factors in Criminal Disposition • • Parental dysfunction Community violence Poverty Media Lead Nutrition Alcohol Illicit Drugs Cincinnati, 1956

Covariates in Analyses of Adult Criminality Data • • • Home Environment (HOME score) Birth Weight Gender Age Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy Maternal Drug/ETOH Use During Pregnancy Maternal Education Maternal IQ Total Prior Maternal Arrests Socioeconomic Status Household Size Public Assistance

Average Number of Criminal Arrests in the Cincinnati Lead Study Cohort (M Age = 22 years) by Average Blood Lead Concentration and Gender (Unadjusted) Average Number of Arrests Wright, Dietrich, Ris et al. 2008 N = 250 Blood Lead Level ug/d. L

Blood Lead Concentrations to Six Years and Arrest Rate Ratio for Violent Offenses* Wright, Dietrich, Ris et al. 2008 *Any 5 ug/d. L elevation in blood lead increased the rate of arrests for violent offenses by 48 percent.

Early Exposure to Lead and Career Criminality

Imaging Studies of the Cincinnati Lead Study Cohort: Volumetric and Functional MRI, MRS, and Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Covariates in Analyses of CLS Adult MRI Data • • • Home Environment (HOME score) Birth Weight Gender Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy Maternal Drug/ETOH Use During Pregnancy Maternal Education Maternal IQ Socioeconomic Status Household Size Public Assistance Age at time of imaging Positive drug screen

Cincinnati Neuroradiological Studies of Childhood Lead Exposure and Adult Brain Outcomes • f. MRI – dose-dependent reductions in brain activation in the traditional language areas (Yuan et al. 2006). • HR Anatomical MRI – dose-dependent reductions in cortical gray matter in the frontal lobe (Cecil et al. 2008). • DT MRI – dose dependent injury to both myelin and axonal structures (Brubaker et al. 2008). • Proton MRS – dose-dependent reduction in gray matter NAA along with white matter choline declines (Cecil et al. 2011).

Adult Cortical Gray Matter Loss in Cincinnati Lead Study Subjects in Relationship to Postnatal Lead Exposure to Six Years Composite rendering Single voxel significance more significant less significant Cecil K. M. , Brubaker C. J. , Adler C. M. , Dietrich K. N. , et al. (2008). Decreased brain volume in adults with childhood lead exposure. PLo. S Medicine, 5 m 741 -750.

The Cincinnati Lead Study (1979 -2016) New Investigations into the 21 st Century ‘Early Exposure to Lead and Bone Health in African-American Women’

Bone Health in African-American Women Exposed to Lead as Children (Bhattacharya, Dietrich, Chettle, & Kalkwarf) K-Shell XRF

Treatment of Lead-Exposed Children (TLC) Clinical Trial (First and Only Controlled Clinical Trial of a Drug to Reduce Lead Body Burden and Neurodevelopmental Impact in Children)

CDC Policy at TLC Start Blood lead level ( µg/d. L) Actions Time frame for beginning intervention 10 -14 Provide caregiver lead education. Provide follow-up testing. Refer the child for social services if necessary. Within 30 days 15 -19 Above actions, plus: If BLLs persist (i. e. , 2 venous BLLs in this range at least 3 months apart) or increase, proceed according to actions for BLLs 20 -44. Within 2 weeks 20 -44 Above actions, plus: Provide coordination of care (case management). Provide clinical evaluation and care. Provide environmental investigation and control current lead hazards. Within 1 week 45 -70 Above actions and chelation therapy. Within 48 hours 70 or higher Above actions, plus hospitalize child for chelation therapy immediately. Within 24 hours

Succimer COOH H - C - SH COOH

TLC Goal TLC was designed to test the hypothesis that children with moderate blood lead levels who were given succimer would have better scores than children given placebo on measures of central nervous system function.

TLC Eligibility • At referral – 12 -33 months old at randomization –referral blood lead 20 -44 ug/d. L –no disqualifying medical condition

Succimer and Placebo • 26 -day course of therapy to provide 1050 mg/m 2 of body surface area per day for the first seven days, 700 mg/m 2 day thereafter. • Up to three courses of treatment to achieve Pb. B < 15 ug/d. L. • Placebo subjects were assigned retreatment to match the frequency of retreatment in the Succimer group.

TLC Mean Blood Lead Concentrations Over Time at Baseline & By Weeks After Treatment By Treatment Group 1994 -1997

TLC Neuropsychological Domains • Cognition, Learning, Memory, and Attention • Academic Achievement • Behavioral Conduct • Neuromotor Performance

Unadjusted Effects of Treatment at Age 7 Years Variable Succimer (323) Mean SD Placebo (319) Mean SD p-value Full-Scale IQ 86. 9 13. 2 86. 6 13. 5 0. 77 Reading 94. 8 18. 4 93. 8 18. 4 0. 47 Externalizing Problems 58. 9 16. 5 57. 3 14. 2 0. 18 Executive Functions 86. 6 16. 5 88. 5 17. 7 0. 20 Dietrich, Ware, Salganik, et al. , Pediatrics, 2004

Normalized Effect of Succimer at 7 Years Dietrich, Ware, Salganik, et al. , Pediatrics, 2004

TLC Summary • Chelation therapy is ineffective in reversing or minimizing adverse neurobehavioral consequences of childhood lead exposure in the range of 20 -44 ug/d. L. • The only way to avoid lead-associated neurodevelopmental morbidity is to prevent exposure in the first place.

Funding for This Research

Recent Collaborators • • • • • Kim M. Cecil (CCHMC) M. Douglas Ris (formerly CCHMC) Richard Hornung (CCHMC, UC DEH) Bruce P. Lanphear (CCHMC, UC DEH) John P. Wright (UC Criminal Justice) Sandra Roda (UC DEH) Mona Ho (CCHMC) Stephanie Wessel (UC DEH) Lisa Tully (CCHMC) Caleb Adler (UC Psychiatry) Kelly Jarvis (UC Psychiatry) Mekibib Altaye (CCHMC) John C. Egelhoff (UC Radiology) Ilayaraja Elangovan (UC Radiology) Christopher Brubaker (UCCM MD/Ph. D Program) Mary N. Rae (UC DEH) Aimin Chen (UC DEH) Amit Bhattacharya (UC DEH) Cyndy Cox (UC DEH) Lorenna Altman (UC DEH) Subjects and Families of the Cincinnati Lead Studies

Copies of Research Reports (kim. dietrich@uc. edu) All of the studies reviewed today on the fetus, infant and child exposed to lead in Cincinnati and elsewhere have been published in major peer-reviewed medical journals. I would be happy to provide copies of these upon request.

Questions and Discussion