Urinary bisphenol A and age at menarche among adolescent girls: Evidence from NHANES 2003–2010

Abstract

Background Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental estrogen used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins used to make food and beverage packaging. Increasing evidence suggests that BPA mimics estrogens in the body and may be associated with putative markers of breast cancer risk. Objectives We analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2010 data to investigate the association of BPA with age at menarche in adolescent girls. We hypothesized that urinary BPA, as a surrogate biomarker for BPA exposure, is associated with earlier age at menarche, and that body mass index (BMI) may modulate this association. Methods We conducted cross-sectional analyses of urinary BPA, BMI and age of menarche in a subsample of 987 adolescent girls aged 12–19, using pooled data from the 2003–2010 NHANES. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between urinary BPA and early onset of menarche, with adjustment for sampling design. We additionally assessed interaction of BPA with BMI. Results Adolescent girls with moderate BPA levels appeared to be less likely to have early onset of menarche than those with the lowest levels (OR=0.57; 95% CI=0.30, 1.08) after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, parental education, country of birth, NHANES cycle, BMI and creatinine. BMI appeared to modify the BPA-menarche association. Conclusions Although a non-significant trend suggests increasing urinary BPA may be associated with delayed menarche in adolescent girls, these results are based on cross-sectional data. Results should be clarified in carefully designed longitudinal cohort studies.

Genistein reduces the noxious effects of in utero bisphenol A exposure on the rat prostate gland at weaning and in adulthood

“…Also, urinary BPA levels (low < 1.9; moderate 1.9e4.1; high > 4.1 ng/ml) were potentially associated with overall delayed menarche, especially for moderate levels of BPA exposure in a sample of 987 adolescent girls from NHANES 2003e2010 (McGuinn et al, 2015). Also, low levels (2e4 ng/ml) of unconjugated or free BPA have been detected in adult serum (Vandenberg et al, 2007(Vandenberg et al, , 2010.…”

Delayed Neuroendocrine Sexual Maturation in Female Rats After a Very Low Dose of Bisphenol A Through Altered GABAergic Neurotransmission and Opposing Effects of a High Dose

“…BPA excretion was not associated with changes in pubertal timing in several studies (11)(12)(13). Increased urinary BPA levels were observed either in precocious puberty (14) or in relation with late menarche (15). The purpose of the present study was to further elucidate the impact of the dose of BPA on female puberty and the underlying neuroendocrine mechanism with emphasis on rat exposure to low environmentally relevant doses during the early postnatal window.…”

A facile low-cost enzymatic paper-based assay for the determination of urine creatinine

“…Abnormal levels of creatinine in serum or urine indicate impaired kidney function, 3 and creatinine has been accepted as a marker for monitoring the impact of treatment in haemodialysis patients [2]. Moreover, urinary creatinine concentration is widely used as an index for urine dilution [3] and as an internal standard for normalising the ratios of other urinary biomarkers, such as microalbumin [4], protein [5], cystatin-c [6], α-dicarbonyl compounds [7], and bisphenol A (BPA) [8].…”