Paraben exposures and asthma-related outcomes among children from the U.S. general population

Publication date: Available online 5 September 2018

Source: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Author(s): Lesliam Quirós-Alcalá, Nadia N. Hansel, Meredith C. McCormack, Elizabeth C. Matsui

ABSTRACT

Background

Parabens are synthetic preservatives present in many consumer products. Their antimicrobial and endocrine disrupting properties have raised concerns that they may play a role in respiratory and allergic diseases; however, studies exploring these associations are scarce.

Objective

We examined the cross-sectional association between parabens and asthma morbidity among 450 children with asthma and with asthma prevalence among 4,023 children in the U.S. general population, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2014).

Methods

We conducted multivariable logistic regression to examine associations between urinary paraben biomarker concentrations (butyl-BP, ethyl-EP, methyl-MP, and propyl-PP) and asthma attacks and emergency department (ED) visits among children with asthma, and with current asthma diagnosis among all children. We also examined heterogeneity of associations by sex.

Results

We observed an increased prevalence odds of reporting ED visits for every 10-fold increase in MP and PP concentrations among boys with asthma (adjusted prevalence odds ratio, aPOR:2.61, 95% confidence interval, CI:1.40, 4.85 and aPOR:2.18, 95%CI:1.22, 3.89, respectively; p_{interaction-MP}=0.002; p_{interaction-PP}=0.003); associations remained after adjusting for other phenolic compounds previously linked to respiratory outcomes. No other dimorphic effects of exposure by sex were observed. Among children in the general population, no overall associations with current asthma were observed, although there was a positive trend with PP and current asthma diagnosis.

Conclusion

We identified differential effects of exposure to select parabens by sex on asthma morbidity. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings, and elucidate mechanisms by which parabens could impact respiratory health and elicit dimorphic effects by sex.

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