Phthalate Exposure, PPARα Variants, and Neurocognitive Development of Children at Two Years

Background: The PPAR alpha gene may be crucial to the neurotoxic effect of phthalates. However, epidemiological studies considering the neurodevelopmental influence of phthalates interacting with genetic susceptibility are limited. We hypothesized phthalates could interact with the PPAR alpha gene, synergistically affecting neurocognitive development. Methods: A total of 961 mother-infant pairs were involved in this study. The concentrations of phthalate metabolites in maternal urine during pregnancy were detected. Children's neurocognitive development was estimated with the Bailey Infant Development Inventory (BSID). Genetic variations in PPAR alpha were genotyped with the Illumina Asian Screening Array. We applied generalized linear regression models to estimate genotypes and phthalate metabolites' association with children's neurocognitive development. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, the mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) concentration was negatively associated with Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) (beta = -0.86, 95% CI: -1.67, -0.04). The associations between MnBP and neurocognitive development might be modified by PPAR alpha rs1800246. Compared with low-MnBP individuals carrying rs1800246 GG genotypes, high-MnBP individuals with the AG + AA genotype had a higher risk of neurocognitive developmental delay, with the odds ratio of 2.76 (95% CI:1.14, 6.24). Conclusions: Our current study revealed that prenatal exposure to MnBP was negatively correlated with children's neurocognitive development, and PPAR alpha rs1800246 might modify the association.

Automated summary

In this study, the researchers investigated the association between prenatal exposure to phthalates and neurocognitive development in children. They found that exposure to mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) during pregnancy was negatively correlated with children's neurocognitive development. Additionally, they identified a potential genetic modifier, PPAR alpha rs1800246, that could modify the association between MnBP and neurodevelopmental outcomes.