Journal article
Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure
Environmental health perspectives, Vol.113(8), pp.1056-1061
05/27/2005
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.8100
PMCID: PMC1280349
PMID: 16079079
Abstract
Prenatal phthalate exposure impairs testicular function and shortens anogenital distance (AGD) in male rodents. We present data from the first study to examine AGD and other genital measurements in relation to prenatal phthalate exposure in humans. A standardized measure of AGD was obtained in 134 boys 2–36 months of age. AGD was significantly correlated with penile volume (
R
= 0.27,
p
= 0.001) and the proportion of boys with incomplete testicular descent (
R
= 0.20,
p
= 0.02). We defined the anogenital index (AGI) as AGD divided by weight at examination [AGI = AGD/weight (mm/kg)] and calculated the age-adjusted AGI by regression analysis. We examined nine phthalate monoester metabolites, measured in prenatal urine samples, as predictors of age-adjusted AGI in regression and categorical analyses that included all participants with prenatal urine samples (
n
= 85). Urinary concentrations of four phthalate metabolites [monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-
n
-butyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), and monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP)] were inversely related to AGI. After adjusting for age at examination,
p
-values for regression coefficients ranged from 0.007 to 0.097. Comparing boys with prenatal MBP concentration in the highest quartile with those in the lowest quartile, the odds ratio for a shorter than expected AGI was 10.2 (95% confidence interval, 2.5 to 42.2). The corresponding odds ratios for MEP, MBzP, and MiBP were 4.7, 3.8, and 9.1, respectively (all
p
-values < 0.05). We defined a summary phthalate score to quantify joint exposure to these four phthalate metabolites. The age-adjusted AGI decreased significantly with increasing phthalate score (
p
-value for slope = 0.009). The associations between male genital development and phthalate exposure seen here are consistent with the phthalate-related syndrome of incomplete virilization that has been reported in prenatally exposed rodents. The median concentrations of phthalate metabolites that are associated with short AGI and incomplete testicular descent are below those found in one-quarter of the female population of the United States, based on a nationwide sample. These data support the hypothesis that prenatal phthalate exposure at environmental levels can adversely affect male reproductive development in humans.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure
- Creators
- Shanna H. Swan - University of RochesterKatharina M. Main - RigshospitaletFan Liu - University of MissouriSara L. Stewart - University of MissouriRobin L. Kruse - University of MissouriAntonia M. Calafat - Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCatherine S. Mao - University of California at Los AngelesJ. Bruce Redmon - Diabetes AustraliaChristine L. Ternand - University of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesShannon Sullivan - University of IowaJ. Lynn Teague - University of MissouriStudy for Future Families Research Team
- Contributors
- A Sparks (Contributor) - University of Iowa, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Environmental health perspectives, Vol.113(8), pp.1056-1061
- Publisher
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- DOI
- 10.1289/ehp.8100
- PMID
- 16079079
- PMCID
- PMC1280349
- ISSN
- 0091-6765
- eISSN
- 1552-9924
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/27/2005
- Academic Unit
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Record Identifier
- 9984318221302771
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