Association between Urinary Phthalate Metabolites and Serum Uric Acid in the Third Trimester of Pregnant Women

Background: Phthalates exposure associates with increased serum uric acid levels in the general population, and whether this association also exists in pregnant women has not been explored yet. Methods we conducted a cross-sectional population-based study including 851 pregnant women from a ZunYi birth cohort in southwestern China. Multiple linear regression models were used to explore single relationship between ten urinary phthalate metabolites with SUA and eGFR. Moreover, the overall relationship of ten urinary phthalate metabolites with SUA and eGFR were determined by principal component analysis (PCA) and quantitative g-computation (Q-g) analysis, respectively. Besides, the potential effect modification factors were explored by employing the subgroup analysis. Results The multivariable linear regression showed that MBP, MOP and MBzP were positively associated with SUA, while MEHP and MEHHP were associated with increased eGFR level. Moreover, mixed phthalate metabolites were positively associated with SUA, evidence by PCA analysis, of which MOP, MBzP and MEHP exhibited the major contributors. Furthermore, Q-g regression showed each quantile increase in mixture of phthalate was associated with 3.27% higher SUA (95% CI: 0.21%, 6.41%), but not significant with eGFR. Conclusion pregnant women’s exposure to phthalates was associated with a higher serum uric acid, in which MBP, MBzP and MOP might play important roles. Our results imply that positive perinatal health should be seriously taken to counteract the environment-associated impaired kidney function.