Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Higher flame retardant levels linked to hyperthyroidism in Swedish
By Norrgran, Jessica et al.·Published in Environmental science & technology·2015·Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Higher PBDE serum concentrations may be associated with feline hyperthyroidism in Swedish cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 82 cats was tested for certain chemicals to see if there was a link between these substances and feline hyperthyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland is overactive. The study found that cats with hyperthyroidism had higher levels of specific flame retardants in their blood compared to healthy cats. Interestingly, a flame retardant that was discontinued in 2000 was still found in all the cats' samples. While this research suggests a connection between these chemicals and hyperthyroidism, more investigation is needed to understand the exact relationship.
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Abstract
Serum from 82 individual cats was analyzed for decabromobiphenyl (BB-209), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hydroxylated PBDEs (OH-PBDEs), and 2,4,6-TBP in order to study differences in body burden between healthy and sick cats diagnosed with Feline Hyperthyroidism (FH). Within the study group, 60 of these cats had a euthyroid (n = 23) or hyperthyroid (n = 37) status, all of which were used in the comparison. This study shows that hyperthyroid compared to euthyroid cats have higher serum concentrations for some of the investigated PBDEs (BDE-99, BDE-153, and BDE-183) and CB-153 on a fat weight basis. Further, it is intriguing, and beyond explanation, why the flame retardant BB-209 (discontinued in 2000) is present in all of the cat serum samples in concentrations similar to BDE-209. Median BDE-47/-99 ratios are 0.47 and 0.32 for healthy and euthyroid cats, respectively, which differs significantly from Swedes, where the ratio is 3.5. Another important finding is the occurrence of very low levels or the absence of hydroxylated PBDE metabolites in the cats. In addition, the major OH-PBDE, 6-OH-BDE47, is likely of natural origin, probably ingested via cat food. The statistics indicate an association between elevated PBDE concentrations in the cats and FH.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25807268/