Associations Between Paraben In Human Serum And Rheumatoid Arthritis Risks

Abstract Parabens are widely used in consumer products resulting in frequent exposure to humans and some toxic effects in humans. However, little is known about the association between human paraben exposure and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, a case-control cohort (n = 290) were established in Hangzhou, China, aiming to quantify the residues of MeP, EtP, PrP, and BuP in serum samples and to determine their associations with RA risks. MeP (mean 4.7 ng/mL, < LOD–20 ng/mL) was the predominant paraben in human serum, followed by PrP (1.9 ng/mL, < LOD–24 ng/mL), EtP (1.4 ng/mL, < LOD–10 ng/mL), and BuP (1.09 ng/mL, < LOD–10 ng/mL). Human serum concentrations of MeP were correlated with the levels of rheumatoid factors [adjusted β = 0.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12, 0.46], anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (adjusted β = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.58), immunoglobulin G (adjusted β = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.30). Significant associations between MeP (adjusted β = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.037, 0.28) and PrP (adjusted β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.080, 0.38) exposure were correlated with C-reactive protein levels. In addtion, a correlation between MeP and odds ratios (OR) of RA (ORcrude = 1.337, CI: 1.110, 1.624, p = 0.03; ORadjusted = 1.866, CI: 1.321, 2.636, p = 0.02) was positive and significant. To our knowledge, this study first finds the significant associations among parabens exposure, change of specific immune marker, and RA risks, indicating that human exposure to parabens may increase the risk of RA.