Distribution of PCB congeners, DDE, hexachlorobenzene, and methylsulfonyl metabolites of PCB and DDE among various fractions of human blood plasma

The concentrations of chlorinated biphenyls (CBs), 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)- 2,2-dichloroethene (DDE),hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and the methylsulfonyl me tabolites of CBs (MeSO2-CBs) and DDE (MeSO2-DDE) were determined in human p lasma samples and in the fractions obtained by ultracentrifugation of plasm a into very-low-density (VLDL), low-density (LDL), high-density (HDL) lipop rotein and lipoprotein depleted (LPDP) fractions (containing primarily albu min). The concentrations of triacylglycerols, cholesterol, phospholipids, a nd apolipoprotein B (apoB) were determined. The organochlorine compounds we re associated with all fractions, but predominantly with the LPDP fraction. On an average 44% of CBs, 61% of MeSO2-CBs, 73% of DDE, 77% of MeSO2-DDE, and 45% of HCB were distributed in the LPDP fraction. A tendency to greater association of 3-methylsulfonyl substituted than of corresponding 4-methyl sulfonyl substituted chlorobiphenyls to the LPDP fraction was noticed. Amon g the lipoprotein fractions, LDL was the main carrier of HCB, DDE and CBs. MeSO2-DDE was predominantly found in HDL and MeSO2-CBs were distributed equ ally among the LDL and HDL fractions. Calculating the concentrations of org anochlorine compounds in relation to the content of apoB, the levels were a bout 10 times higher in VLDL than in LDL.