Background and objective: Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor (ED) that has been associated with obesity and metabolic changes in liver in humans. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 40% of all obese children in the United States. Association of BPA with NAFLD in children is poorly understood. We investigated if BPA might play a role.
Methods: In a cross sectional study of 39 obese and overweight children aged 3-8 years enrolled from the Children Medical Center of Dayton, Ohio, anthropometric, clinical and biochemical assessment of serum samples were conducted. Urinary BPA was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and was adjusted for urinary creatinine BPA (creatinine) using linear regression and spline analyses.
Results: Higher urinary BPA (creatinine) concentration in overweight and obese children was associated with increasing free thyroxine. In male children BPA (creatinine) decreased with age, and was associated with elevated liver enzyme aspartate aminotransferase and diastolic blood pressure. The association of BPA (creatinine) persisted even after adjusting for age and ethnicity. Also in males, BPA concentration unadjusted for creatinine was significantly associated with serum fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) showing non-monotonic exposure-response relationship.
Conclusion: Urinary BPA in obese children, at least in males is associated with adverse liver and metabolic effects, and high diastolic blood pressure.
Keywords: Bisphenol A; Childhood obesity; Endocrine disruptor; Non-monotonic dose response; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Spline analysis.
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