Bisphenol A exposure is associated with low-grade urinary albumin excretion in children of the United States

Kidney Int. 2013 Apr;83(4):741-8. doi: 10.1038/ki.2012.422. Epub 2013 Jan 9.

Abstract

Urinary bisphenol A (BPA), a widely used biomarker of exposure to BPA, has been associated with cardiometabolic derangements in laboratory studies and with low-grade albuminuria in Chinese adults. Despite the known unique vulnerability of children to environmental chemicals, no studies have examined associations of urinary BPA with albuminuria in children. As exposure to BPA is widespread in the United States population, we examined data from 710 children in the 2009-10 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with urinary BPA measurements and first morning urine samples with creatinine values. Controlled for a broad array of sociodemographic and environmental risk factors as well as insulin resistance and elevated cholesterol, children with the highest compared with the lowest quartile of urinary BPA had a significant 0.91 mg/g higher albumin-to-creatinine ratio, adjusted for the urinary BPA concentration. When the multivariable model was reprised substituting continuous measures of BPA, a significant 0.28 mg/g albumin-to-creatinine ratio increase was identified for each log unit increase in urinary BPA. Thus, an association of BPA exposure with low-grade albuminuria is consistent with previous results found in Chinese adults and documents this in children in the United States. Our findings broaden the array of adverse effects of BPA to include endothelial dysfunction as evidenced by the low-grade albuminuria and support proactive efforts to prevent harmful exposures.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Factors
  • Albuminuria / chemically induced*
  • Albuminuria / diagnosis
  • Albuminuria / urine
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / adverse effects*
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / urine
  • Biomarkers / urine
  • Child
  • Creatinine / urine
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Environmental Pollutants / adverse effects*
  • Environmental Pollutants / urine
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Odds Ratio
  • Phenols / adverse effects*
  • Phenols / urine
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • United States
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Biomarkers
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Phenols
  • Creatinine
  • bisphenol A