Friday, November 19, 2010

The Impact of Bisphenol A and Triclosan on Immune Parameters in the US Population, NHANES 2003-2006.

The Impact of Bisphenol A and Triclosan on Immune Parameters in the US Population, NHANES 2003-2006.
Clayton EM, Todd M, Dowd JB, Aiello AE.  Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Nov 9. [Epub ahead of print]
University of Michigan.
Abstract
Background: Exposure to environmental toxicants is associated with numerous disease outcomes, many of which involve underlying immune and inflammatory dysfunction.
 
Objectives: To address the gap between environmental exposures and immune dysfunction, we investigated the association of two endocrine-disrupting compounds with markers of immune function.
 
Methods: Using data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we compared urinary bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan with serum cytomegalovirus antibody levels and diagnosis of allergies or hayfever in US adults and children age ≥ 6 years. We used multivariate ordinary least squares linear regression models to examine the association of BPA and triclosan with cytomegalovirus antibody titers, and multivariate logistic regression models to investigate the association of these chemicals with allergy/hayfever diagnosis. Statistical models were stratified by age (<18 years and ≥18 years).
 
Results: In analyses adjusted for age, sex, race, BMI, creatinine levels, family income, and educational attainment, in the ≥18 age group, higher urinary BPA levels were associated with higher cytomegalovirus antibody titers (p<0.001). In the <18 age group, lower levels of BPA were associated with higher cytomegalovirus antibody titers (p<0.05). However, triclosan, but not BPA, showed a positive association with allergy/hayfever diagnosis. In the under 18 age group, higher levels of triclosan were associated with greater odds of having been diagnosed with allergies or hayfever (p<0.01).
 
Conclusions: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA and triclosan may negatively impact human immune function as measured by CMV antibody levels and allergy/hayfever diagnosis, respectively, with differential consequences based on age. Additional studies should be done to investigate these findings.

PMID: 21062687 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Free Article

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