Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sex
Background: Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) ubiquitously present in the environment. There are limited studies on the impact of phthalate exposure during the gestational period on neonatal telomere length. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation betwe...
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325003136 |
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| author | Ning Qin Yonghong Sheng Yantao Shao Qian Liao Dongping Huang Juanhua Li Jiemei Li Hongxiu Liu Yang Peng Xiaoqiang Qiu Han Li |
| author_facet | Ning Qin Yonghong Sheng Yantao Shao Qian Liao Dongping Huang Juanhua Li Jiemei Li Hongxiu Liu Yang Peng Xiaoqiang Qiu Han Li |
| author_sort | Ning Qin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) ubiquitously present in the environment. There are limited studies on the impact of phthalate exposure during the gestational period on neonatal telomere length. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between maternal serum phthalate concentrations in early pregnancy and neonatal telomere length and whether this correlation exhibits sex-specificity. Methods: Between September 2015 and April 2018, 474 pregnant women were selected from the Guangxi Zhuang Birth Cohort (GZBC). Maternal serum samples from early pregnancy were measured for levels of five phthalates and four phthalate metabolites. Umbilical cord blood samples were collected to measure telomere length. The correlations between prenatal phthalate exposure and infant telomere length were assessed using multiple linear regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), quantile g-computation (qg-comp), and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models. Results: Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that per 2.7-fold increase in the concentration of butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), neonatal telomere length decreased by 2.66 % (95 % CI: −5.20 %, −0.05 %) and 3.43 % (95 % CI: −6.46 %, −0.30 %), respectively. Conversely, per 2.7-fold increase in di-butyl phthalate (DBP) concentration corresponded to a 3.01 % (95 % CI: 0.19 %, 5.91 %) increase in neonatal telomere length. Sex-stratified analyses demonstrated that BBP (percent change: −3.60 %; 95 % CI: −6.91 %, −0.18 %); mono-butyl phthalate (MBP) (percent change: −4.13 %; 95 % CI: −7.14 %, −1.01 %) and MEP (percent change: −7.66 %, 95 % CI: −11.53 %, −3.62 %) were inversely associated with neonatal telomere length in female infants only. Neonatal sex significantly modified the association between MEP exposure and neonatal telomere length (P-value for interaction = 0.018). Phthalate mixture was inversely associated with neonatal telomere length in female infants but not in male infants in qg-comp and BKMR models. Conclusion: Our study suggests that maternal exposure to phthalates is linked to shorter telomere length in neonates, especially in female infants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5030e420d07a4a4da8cdffac513cdb14 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-5030e420d07a4a4da8cdffac513cdb142025-08-20T02:52:27ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-03-0129211797710.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.117977Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sexNing Qin0Yonghong Sheng1Yantao Shao2Qian Liao3Dongping Huang4Juanhua Li5Jiemei Li6Hongxiu Liu7Yang Peng8Xiaoqiang Qiu9Han Li10Department of Hygiene Chemistry, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, ChinaEpidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, ChinaEpidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, ChinaEpidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, ChinaDepartment of Hygiene Chemistry, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, ChinaDepartment of Hygiene Chemistry, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, ChinaDepartment of Hygiene Chemistry, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, ChinaKey Laboratory of Environment and Health (HUST), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Corresponding author at: Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.Department of Hygiene Chemistry, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Hygiene Chemistry, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.Background: Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) ubiquitously present in the environment. There are limited studies on the impact of phthalate exposure during the gestational period on neonatal telomere length. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between maternal serum phthalate concentrations in early pregnancy and neonatal telomere length and whether this correlation exhibits sex-specificity. Methods: Between September 2015 and April 2018, 474 pregnant women were selected from the Guangxi Zhuang Birth Cohort (GZBC). Maternal serum samples from early pregnancy were measured for levels of five phthalates and four phthalate metabolites. Umbilical cord blood samples were collected to measure telomere length. The correlations between prenatal phthalate exposure and infant telomere length were assessed using multiple linear regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), quantile g-computation (qg-comp), and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models. Results: Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that per 2.7-fold increase in the concentration of butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), neonatal telomere length decreased by 2.66 % (95 % CI: −5.20 %, −0.05 %) and 3.43 % (95 % CI: −6.46 %, −0.30 %), respectively. Conversely, per 2.7-fold increase in di-butyl phthalate (DBP) concentration corresponded to a 3.01 % (95 % CI: 0.19 %, 5.91 %) increase in neonatal telomere length. Sex-stratified analyses demonstrated that BBP (percent change: −3.60 %; 95 % CI: −6.91 %, −0.18 %); mono-butyl phthalate (MBP) (percent change: −4.13 %; 95 % CI: −7.14 %, −1.01 %) and MEP (percent change: −7.66 %, 95 % CI: −11.53 %, −3.62 %) were inversely associated with neonatal telomere length in female infants only. Neonatal sex significantly modified the association between MEP exposure and neonatal telomere length (P-value for interaction = 0.018). Phthalate mixture was inversely associated with neonatal telomere length in female infants but not in male infants in qg-comp and BKMR models. Conclusion: Our study suggests that maternal exposure to phthalates is linked to shorter telomere length in neonates, especially in female infants.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325003136PhthalatesEarly pregnancyInfant sexTelomere lengthCord bloodNewborns |
| spellingShingle | Ning Qin Yonghong Sheng Yantao Shao Qian Liao Dongping Huang Juanhua Li Jiemei Li Hongxiu Liu Yang Peng Xiaoqiang Qiu Han Li Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sex Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Phthalates Early pregnancy Infant sex Telomere length Cord blood Newborns |
| title | Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sex |
| title_full | Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sex |
| title_fullStr | Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sex |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sex |
| title_short | Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sex |
| title_sort | associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length effect modification by infant sex |
| topic | Phthalates Early pregnancy Infant sex Telomere length Cord blood Newborns |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325003136 |
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