Chemical exposure
Childhood phthalates linked to teen liver enzymes
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
In the Ewha Birth and Growth Cohort, higher childhood urinary phthalates—especially later LMW exposure—tracked with higher AST, ALT, and γ-GTP at ages 10–15, with BMI interactions in girls.
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Childhood phthalates linked to teen liver enzymes
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How many children had phthalates at both childhood visits?
In total, 164 participants with measurable phthalate in urine samples participated in the follow-up for two exposure periods
How is ΣDEHP defined here?
ΣDEHP was calculated as the molar sum of MECPP, MEHHP, MEHP, and MEOHP
Key findings
Geometric-mean ΣDEHP fell from 377.0 to 229.0 μg/g creatinine between the two childhood windows. Higher LMW phthalates (MiBP, MnBP, ΣDBP) tracked with higher γ-GTP (ages 3–5) and AST/ALT (ages 7–9). Combined high exposure raised enzymes more for LMW compounds; 7–9-year exposure appeared more influential. BMI modified some associations in girls.
Methodology
Authors measured nine urinary phthalate metabolites at ages 3–5 and 7–9 in 164 Ewha cohort children and related creatinine-adjusted tertiles and combined high/low groups to fasting AST, ALT, and γ-GTP at ages 10–15 in 126 participants, adjusting for sex, BMI, SES, secondhand smoke, and inactivity.
Limitations
Spot urines at two visits cannot capture phthalates’ short half-life; n=126 limits sex-stratified power; co-exposure mixtures were not modeled; residual confounding remains possible.
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