Urinary Biomarkers of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Are Associated with Cardiometabolic Health Risk.
BACKGROUND
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are both man-made and naturally occurring environmental pollutants that may be related to cardiometabolic health risk.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether PAH is associated with obesity in the adult population and to examine whether urinary concentrations of PAH metabolites are associated with differences in how obesity relates to 3 or more risk factors for the metabolic syndrome (3RFMetS), type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, and dyslipidemia.


METHODS
A total of 4765 adult participants from the 2001-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. The association between 8 urinary hydroxylated PAH metabolites, obesity, and health were examined using weighted logistic regressions adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, PIR, smoking status, and urinary creatinine.


RESULTS
There was a positive dose-dependent association between obesity and 2-phenanthrene quintiles (P trend <0.0001). Contrarily, higher quintiles of 1-naphthalene were associated with lower risk of obesity (P trend = 0.0004). For a given BMI, those in the highest quintile of 2-naphthalene, 2-fluorene, 3-fluorene and 2-phenanthrene had a 66-80% greater likelihood of 3RFMetS (P≤0.05) compared to low levels. Higher quintiles of 1-naphthalene, 2-naphthalene, 2-phenanthrene and 1-pyrene were associated with a 78-124% greater likelihood of T2D (P≤0.05) compared to low levels while high 1-naphthalene, 2-naphthalene, 2-fluorene, 3-fluorene and 2-phenanthrene were associated with a 38-68% greater likelihood of dyslipidemia (P≤0.05) compared to lower levels. Finally, 2-naphthalene and 2-phenanthrene were positively associated with hypertension (P trend = 0.008 and P trend = 0.02 respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
PAH is related to obesity and the expression of a number of obesity-related cardiometabolic health risk factors. Future research is needed to bring to light the mechanistic pathways related to these findings.
School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mahsa
M
Ranjbar
School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Michael A
MA
Rotondi
School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Chris I
CI
Ardern
School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jennifer L
JL
Kuk
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D002170:Canada; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D012306:Risk
D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005449:Fluorenes; D009281:Naphthalenes; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D011721:Pyrenes; C031721:naphthalene; C041509:fluorene; C031181:phenanthrene; C030984:pyrene; D003404:Creatinine