Storage of some organochlorine compounds in toxemia of pregnancy

Nine out of 18 cases of toxemia of pregnancy had high PCB serum levels in comparison with a control group of 12 women with normal pregnancies. Seven out of the nine high PCB levels cases were multiparae. These findings suggest a role of PCBs in the promotion of toxemia of pregnancy, possibly by depressing the maternal immunological response to fetal antigens. The pattern of the gas chromatogram of PCBs differed in the control and in the low PCB levels toxemia groups, due possibly to differences in some hormonal and/or enzymatic activities. In the high PCB levels toxemia cases, the chromatograms showed high peaks at 8. This fact adds to the quantitative dimension a qualitative one. The DDT /DDE ratios were lowest in the high PCB levels toxemia group suggesting an increased degradation of DDT to DDE and/or a decreased excretion of DDE.