posted on 2023-11-09, 21:29authored byAnran Cai, Sylvie Remy, Virissa Lenters, Bianca Cox, Greet Schoeters, Adrian Covaci, Roel Vermeulen, Lützen Portengen
Childhood exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals
(EDCs), either
alone or in mixtures, may affect metabolic outcomes, yet existing
evidence remains inconclusive. In our study of 372 adolescents from
the Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS IV, 2017–2018),
we measured 40 known and suspected EDCs and assessed metabolic outcomes,
including body mass index z-score (zBMI), abdominal
obesity (AO), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG). We applied
Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and Bayesian penalized horseshoe
regression for variable selection and then built multivariate generalized
propensity score (mvGPS) models to provide an overview of the effects
of selected EDCs on metabolic outcomes. As a result, BKMR and horseshoe
together identified five EDCs associated with zBMI, three with AO,
three with TC, and five with TG. Through mvGPS analysis, monoiso-butyl
phthalate (MIBP), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB-170), and hexachlorobenzene
(HCB) each showed an inverse association with zBMI, as did PCB-170
with AO. Copper (Cu) was associated with higher TC and TG, except
in boys where it was linked to lower TG. Additionally, monoethyl phthalate
(MEP) and monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) were associated with higher
TG. To conclude, our findings support the association between certain
chemicals (Cu, MEP, and MBzP) and elevated lipid levels, aligning
with prior studies. Further investigation is needed for sex-specific
effects.