Urine di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites are independently related to body fluid status in adults: Results from a U.S. nationally representative survey

Abstract

Purpose Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been utilized in many daily products for decades. Previous studies have reported that DEHP exposure could induce renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation and increase epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity, which contributes to extracellular fluid (ECF) volume expansion. However, there is also no previous study to evaluate the association between DEHP exposure and body fluid status. Methods We selected 1,678 subjects (aged ≥ 18 years) from a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2003–2004 to determine the relationship among urine DEHP metabolites and body composition (body measures, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)). Results After weighing the sampling strategy in multiple linear regression analysis, we report that higher levels of DEHP metabolites are correlated with increases in body measures (body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference), BIA parameters (estimated fat mass, percent body fat, ECF, and ECF/intracellular fluid (ICF) ratio) in multiple linear regression analysis. The relationship between DEHP metabolites and the ECF/ICF ratio was more evident in subjects with younger age (20–39 years old), women, non-Hispanic white ethnicity, and subjects who were not active smokers. Conclusion In addition to being positively correlated with body measures and body fat, we found that urine DEHP metabolites were positively correlated with ECF and the ECF/ICF ratio in the US general adult population. Further research is needed to clarify the causal relationship.

Association between urinary nickel with obesity status in adults: A cross-sectional study

“…It is well-known that men and women have varying quantities of muscle, which might alter the final indicator findings. Individuals with a high percentage of body fat may create more angiotensin and aldosterone, while muscle does not (50).…”