PCBs Profile - Serum

The Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Profile can help identify which of the most toxic PCBs a patient has been exposed to and the body burden of the patient. We look at the most commonly found PCBs, which have national reference ranges, that have been documented to cause adverse health problems. Levels are given both in parts per million (PPM) and as lipid-adjusted amounts so the clinician can best estimate the total body burden of these compounds.

Why perform polychlorinated biphenyl testing?

Once PCBs enter the body, they are absorbed by our fat cells and stored. Since PCBs are not water-soluble, they are not excreted from the body and accumulate over a person's lifetime, increasing that person's body burden of PCBs. Polychlorinated biphenyl testing can help you determine the extent of this PCB burden.

In adults, a heavy burden of PCBs over time can cause impairments in the brain, nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system, and may cause fertility issues.

A PCB burden affects children more than adults.  PCBs are most often passed to children through breastfeeding and trans-placental transfer.  PCB exposure in children can impede neurobehavioral and immune system development.  These impediments may cause delayed neurobehavioral development in motor skills and short term memory, and lower scores on intelligence, psychomotor, and behavioral tests.  A lowered immune system can create many problems in children including allergies, sensitivities, and chronic infections.

What are PCBs?

PCBs were used as lubricants and coolants in transformers, capacitors, and electronic equipment because of a high resistance to heat.  Due to the stability of PCBs, unfortunately they also do not break down in the environment and bioaccumulate in animals and humans.

PCBs were banned from use in the US in 1979 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  However, due to the persistence of PCBs in the environment, PCBs continue to leach into soil and groundwater from hazardous waste sites and landfills.  Since PCBs bioaccumulate, we are exposed through our food chain by eating fish, meat, and dairy products, especially from areas of the country considered contaminated.

Symptoms of PCB exposure:

Toxicity often lies at the root of many chronic illnesses, such as:

Test name(s)

0761 - Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Profile*

Description

The PCBs Profile measures eight common PCBs that are shown to cause health problems with neurobehavioral and immune system development. Such problems may include psychomotor and behavioral problems, allergies, obesity, fatigue, and even some cancers. PCBs are stored in fatty tissues and bioaccumulate over a patient’s lifetime. Knowing a patient’s PCB burden can assist in creating treatment plans to help achieve patient wellness.

Method

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Turnaround time

7 - 10 days

Analytes

Dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls
2,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 118)
3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126)
2,3,3',4,4',5-Hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 156)
3,3',4,4',5,5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl(PCB 169)

Non-dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls
2,4,4',5-Tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 74)
2,2',3,4,4',5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 138)
2,2',4,4',5,5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153)
2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-Heptachlorobiphenyl (PCB 180)

*Not available in New York

Specimen Collection Instructions

• Toxic-Combo-KI.pdf

Sample Reports Example of how test results will be reported, including reference ranges and graphs indicating high and low percentiles of each analyte.

• PCBs-SR.pdf

Interpretive Guides Information on individual analytes and possible patterns that may be indicated on your test results. Further supplement recommendations, diet modifications, and other treatment options may also be included to help guide your treatment.

• PCBs-IG.pdf

Patient Briefs

• Toxic-Combo-PB.pdf

If you do not have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, download it here.

Articles

• President's Cancer Panel: Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk - With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action.

Books

• Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine - Your evidence-based resource for the biochemical basis of chronic illness. A must-have desk reference for laboratory testing associated with nutritional and metabolic medicine.

Podcasts

• Why is it important to understand total toxic body burden? - Part 1 - With so much in the news today about toxicity and the environment, it’s hard to ignore the chatter and and how it affects our health. Time to ask someone in the know.
• Why should we test for toxic exposure? - Part 2 - This is the second installment of my conversation with Dr. Walter Crinnion on toxicity and the environment. He is a wellspring of information on this subject, and he answers the question about the need for testing in this week's podcast.
• How do toxins affect mitochondria? - Part 3 - In this third installment of my conversation with Dr. Walter Crinnion, we consider the function of the mitochondria, those “cellular power plants” that provide most of our cell’s supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
• Immunotoxicity - First to the party - Part 4 - We take a deeper look into how toxins affect the immune system this week. Dr. Crinnion says immunotoxicity is usually the first problem that shows up in a person’s history, typically manifesting itself as allergies or asthma...
• Hey Fathead, your brain is an easy target for toxins - Part 5 - The brain is one of the largest fatty organs in our body. Dr. Crinnion says that many environmental toxins are fat-soluble and easily pass the blood/brain barrier.
• Who’s your mama? Is your generation at risk? - Part 6 - The endocrine system is another major target of environmental compounds. Did you know this system directly affects fertility and reproduction? Dr. Crinnion shares a story about the result of persistent, man-made chemicals being transfered from across generations...

Presentations

• Evaluating Environmental Effects on the Body's Biochemistry and Cancer - This presentation explores the impact of environmental toxins on the body's metabolism. There are over 80,000 chemicals on the market that we are exposed to, with the added insult of combined exposures being more toxic to the body. Metametrix testing is explored and various analytes are explained as markers for toxicity.
• Environmental Toxicity and the Effect on Health - Toxicity is a growing concern for both doctors and their patients. Learn more about the impact of toxins on the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems and how Metametrix testing can help reveal a person's toxic burden.
• IFM: The New Paradigm of Medicine - This PowerPoint presentation was developed by the Institute for Functional Medicine. It provides a concise explanation of the new paradigm of medicine that focuses on underlying causes of disease and treatment from that level rather treating symptoms alone, the approach often taken by modern medicine.