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. 2013 Feb;121(2):251-6.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.1205256. Epub 2012 Nov 16.

Urinary biomarkers for phthalates associated with asthma in Norwegian children

Randi J Bertelsen  1 , Karin C Lødrup Carlsen, Antonia M Calafat, Jane A Hoppin, Geir Håland, Petter Mowinckel, Kai-Håkon Carlsen, Martinus Løvik
Affiliations

Urinary biomarkers for phthalates associated with asthma in Norwegian children

Randi J Bertelsen et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2013 Feb.

Abstract

Background: High-molecular-weight phthalates in indoor dust have been associated with asthma in children, but few studies have evaluated phthalate biomarkers in association with respiratory outcomes.

Objectives: We explored the association between urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and current asthma.

Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis, 11 metabolites of 8 phthalates [including four metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] were measured in one first morning void collected from 2001 through 2004 from 623 10-year-old Norwegian children. Logistic regression models controlling for urine specific gravity, sex, parental asthma, and income were used to estimate associations between current asthma and phthalate metabolite concentrations by quartiles or as log10-transformed variables.

Results: Current asthma was associated with both mono(carboxyoctyl) phthalate (MCOP) and mono(carboxynonyl) phthalate (MCNP), although the association was limited to those in the highest quartile of these chemicals. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for current asthma was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.0, 3.3) for the highest MCOP quartile compared with the lowest quartile, and 1.3 (95% CI: 0.98, 1.7) for an interquartile-range increase. The aOR for current asthma was 2.2 (95% CI: 1.2, 4.0) for the highest MCNP quartile and 1.3 (95% CI: 1.0, 1.7) for an interquartile-range increase. The other phthalate metabolites were not associated with current asthma.

Conclusions: Current asthma was associated with the highest quartiles of MCOP and MCNP, metabolites of two high molecular weight phthalates, diisononyl phthalate and diisodecyl phthalate, respectively. Given the short biological half-life of the phthalates and the cross-sectional design, our findings should be interpreted cautiously.

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Conflict of interest statement

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the CDC.

The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
SG-adjusted phthalate metabolite concentrations (µg/L) in girls and boys. Values are GM with error bars for 95% CIs. *p < 0.05. **p< 0.001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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