ArticleEnvironmental research2019
Longitudinal changes during pregnancy in gut microbiota and methylmercury biomarkers, and reversal of microbe-exposure correlations.
Article in Environmental research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Major heavy metals and human gut microbiota composition: a systematic review with nutritional approach.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Evaluation of Fetal Exposures to Metals and Metalloids through Meconium Analyses: A Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Trace Element Exposure during Pregnancy Has a Persistent Influence on Perinatal Gut Microbiota in Mother-Infant Dyads.Environmental science & technology · 2025Article
- Hair mercury isotopes, a noninvasive biomarker for dietary methylmercury exposure and biological uptake.Environmental science. Processes & impacts · 2024Article
- Intestinal microbiota protects against methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2024Review
- Article
- Gut heavy metal and antibiotic resistome of humans living in the high Arctic.Frontiers in microbiology · 2024Article
- Praegnatio Perturbatio-Impact of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals.Endocrine reviews · 2021Review
- Fecal Methylmercury Correlates With Gut Microbiota Taxa in Pacific Walruses (Frontiers in microbiology · 2021Article
- The Impact of Environmental Chemicals on the Gut Microbiome.Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology · 2020Article
- Association between gut microbiota composition and glycoalbumin level during pregnancy in Japanese women: Pilot study from Chiba Study of Mother and Child Health.Journal of diabetes investigation · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveGut microorganisms contribute to the metabolism of environmental toxicants, including methylmercury (MeHg). Our main objective was to investigate whether associations between biomarkers for prenatal MeHg exposure and maternal gut microbiota differed between early and late gestation.
methodsMaternal blood and stool samples were collected during early (8.3-17 weeks, n=28) and late (27-36 weeks, n=24) gestation. Total mercury and MeHg concentrations were quantified in biomarkers, and inorganic mercury was estimated by subtraction. The diversity and structure of the gut microbiota were investigated using 16S rRNA gene profiling (n = 52). Biomarkers were dichotomized, and diversity patterns were compared between high/low mercury concentrations. Spearman's correlation was used to assess bivariate associations between MeHg biomarkers (stool, blood, and meconium), and 23 gut microbial taxa (genus or family level, >1% average relative abundance).
resultsWithin-person and between-person diversity patterns in gut microbiota differed between early/late gestation. The overall composition of the microbiome differed between high/low MeHg concentrations (in blood and stool) during early gestation, but not late gestation. Ten (of 23) taxa were significantly correlated with MeHg biomarkers (increasing or decreasing); however, associations differed, depending on whether the sample was collected during early or late gestation. A total of 43% of associations (69/161) reversed the direction of correlation between early/late gestation.
conclusionsThe time point at which a maternal fecal sample is collected may yield different associations between gut microorganisms and MeHg biomarkers, which may be due in part to remodeling of maternal microbiota during pregnancy. Our results suggest the effectiveness of dietary interventions to reduce prenatal MeHg exposure may differ between early and late gestation.
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