Urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Metabolites Are Associated with Biomarkers of Chronic Endocrine Stress, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Adolescents: FLEHS-4 (2016–2020)
Veerle J. Verheyen,
Sylvie Remy,
Eva Govarts,
Ann Colles,
Laura Rodriguez Martin,
Gudrun Koppen,
Stefan Voorspoels,
Liesbeth Bruckers,
Esmée M. Bijnens,
Stijn Vos,
Bert Morrens,
Dries Coertjens,
Annelies De Decker,
Carmen Franken,
Elly Den Hond,
Vera Nelen,
Adrian Covaci,
Ilse Loots,
Stefaan De Henauw,
Nicolas Van Larebeke,
Caroline Teughels,
Tim S. Nawrot,
Greet Schoeters
Affiliations
Veerle J. Verheyen
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Sylvie Remy
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Eva Govarts
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Ann Colles
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Laura Rodriguez Martin
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Gudrun Koppen
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Stefan Voorspoels
VITO GOAL, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Liesbeth Bruckers
I-BioStat, Data Science Institute, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium
Esmée M. Bijnens
Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
Stijn Vos
Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
Bert Morrens
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Sint-Jacobstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Dries Coertjens
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Sint-Jacobstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Annelies De Decker
Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Carmen Franken
Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Elly Den Hond
Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Vera Nelen
Provincial Institute of Hygiene, Kronenburgstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Adrian Covaci
Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
Ilse Loots
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Sint-Jacobstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Stefaan De Henauw
Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Nicolas Van Larebeke
Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Caroline Teughels
Flemish Planning Bureau for the Environment and Spatial Development, Koning Albert II laan 20, bus 8, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tim S. Nawrot
Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
Greet Schoeters
VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants of public health concern. Multiple biological mechanisms have been hypothesized to contribute to PAHs-associated adverse health effects. Little is known about the impact of PAHs on endocrine stress and inflammation in adolescence. We examined 393 Flemish adolescents (14–15 years) cross-sectionally, measured urinary concentrations of hydroxylated naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene metabolites, and calculated the sum of all measured metabolites. We determined hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as endocrine stress biomarker, leucocyte counts and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood as inflammatory biomarkers, and urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) concentration as oxidative stress biomarker. Exposure–response associations were analyzed by multiple regression, adjusted for a priori selected covariates. A doubling of 1-hydroxypyrene concentration was associated with a factor of 1.13 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.24) increase in HCC and a factor of 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.13) increase in 8-oxodG. Doublings of 2- and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene concentrations were associated with a factor of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.14) and 1.06 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.12) increase in 8-oxodG, respectively. Doubling of 2-hydroxyphenanthrene and of the sum of 2- and 3-hydroxyfluorene was associated with, respectively, a factor of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.14) and 1.06 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.13) increase in NLR. Our results indicate the glucocorticoid pathway as a potential target for PAH exposure in adolescents and suggest oxidative stress, endocrine stress, and inflammation in adolescence as underlying mechanisms and early markers for PAH-related adverse health effects.
