Longitudinal effects of prenatal exposure to plastic-derived chemicals and their metabolites on asthma and lung function from childhood into adulthood

Rachel E. Foong, Peter Franklin, Francesca Sanna, Graham L. Hall, Peter D. Sly, Eric B. Thorstensen, Dorota A. Doherty, Jeffrey A. Keelan, Roger J. Hart

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background and Objective Environmental exposure to phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), chemicals used in the production of plastics, may increase risk for asthma and allergies. However, little is known about the long-term effects of early life exposure to these compounds. We investigated if prenatal exposure to these compounds was associated with asthma, allergy and lung function outcomes from early childhood into adulthood in a cohort study. Methods Maternal serum samples collected from 846 pregnant women in the Raine Study were assayed for BPA and phthalate metabolites. The children of these women were followed up at 5, 13 and 22 years where spirometry and respiratory questionnaires were conducted to determine asthma and allergy status. Lung function trajectories were derived from longitudinal spirometry measurements. Multinomial logistic regression and weighted quantile sum regression was used to test associations of individual and chemical mixtures with asthma phenotypes and lung function trajectories. Results Effects of prenatal BPA and phthalates on asthma phenotypes were seen in male offspring, where BPA was associated with increased risk for persistent asthma, while mono-iso-butyl phthalate and mono-iso-decyl phthalate was associated with increased risk for adult asthma. Prenatal BPA had no effect on lung function trajectories, but prenatal phthalate exposure was associated with improved lung function. Conclusion Prenatal BPA exposure was associated with increased likelihood of persistent asthma in males, while prenatal phthalate exposure was associated with increased likelihood of adult asthma in males. Results suggest that prenatal exposure to prenatal BPA and phthalates affect asthma risk, particularly in males, however lung function was not adversely affected.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)236-246
Number of pages11
JournalRespirology
Volume28
Issue number3
Early online date2 Oct 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2023

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