Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (Oct 2020)
Association of Urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Diabetes in Korean Adults: Data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey Cycle 2 (2012–2014)
Abstract
Yon Ju Nam,1 Shin-Hye Kim2 1College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea; 2Department of Pediatrics, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul 01757, KoreaCorrespondence: Shin-Hye KimDepartment of Pediatrics, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 1342 Dongil-Ro, Nowon-Gu, Seoul 01757, KoreaTel +82-2-950-4812Fax +82-2-950-1246Email [email protected]: To investigate the associations between the urinary levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and diabetes mellitus in Korean adults.Materials and Methods: We examined the data of 6478 participants aged ≥ 19 years from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) cycle 2 (2012– 2014). The urinary levels of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), 2-naphthol (2-NAP), 1-hydroxyphenathrene (1-OHPhe), and 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHFlu) were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Diabetes mellitus was defined as a self-report of physician-diagnosed diabetes mellitus or the use of oral hypoglycemics or insulin. Analyses were adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, household income, alcohol consumption, physical activity, urinary creatinine and cotinine, menopausal status, and quartiles of all other PAHs.Results: The prevalence of diabetes was 6.5% in the study population. In men, the geometric means of the 2-NAP and 2-OHFlu levels were higher in participants with diabetes mellitus than in those without diabetes mellitus [4.11 vs 3.26 μg/L (P < 0.05) and 0.45 vs 0.40 μg/L (P < 0.05), respectively]. In women, the geometric mean of 2-NAP levels was also higher in participants with diabetes mellitus than in those without diabetes mellitus (1.81 vs 0.56 μg/L, P < 0.05), but there were no significant differences in geometric means for other PAHs. A higher odds ratio (OR) of diabetes was found in participants with the highest quartiles of urinary 2-NAP [OR 1.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29– 2.60] and 2-OHFlu (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.10– 2.98) than in those with the lowest quartiles.Conclusion: The urinary 2-NAP and 2-OHFlu levels were associated with diabetes mellitus in Korean adults. Further studies are needed to determine a potential causal relationship between PAH exposure and diabetes mellitus and its underlying mechanism.Keywords: environmental pollutant, 2-naphthol, 2-hydroxyfluorene, environmental exposure, health survey, endocrine disruptors
