Association between pyrethroids and prostate endpoints; stratified according to renal function

• Published in: Environment international 2021-08, Vol.153, p.106489, Article 106489
• Main Authors: Hong, Dongui, Min, Jin-Young, Min, Kyoung-bok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Kidney function; Pesticide; Pesticide exposure; Prostate; Pyrethroids; Reproductive health
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106489

•Higher level of pyrethroid was associated with increased total PSA.•For someone with low eGFR, the higher pyrethroid, the higher free PSA.•For someone with high eGFR, the higher pyrethroid, the lower free PSA. Pyrethroids, one of the most commonly used pesticide classes, are considered to be selectively toxic toward insects rather than toward humans. However, there are accumulating data about pyrethroids toxicity in humans, especially sex organs. Thus, we investigated whether pyrethroids affected reproductive organs, especially the prostate gland. With 1305 subjects who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, several measurements were performed: 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), a common metabolite of pyrethroids; prostate-specific antigen (PSA); and other covariates. Both logistic and linear regression analyses were performed after stratifying according to kidney function, which was evaluated based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). By logistic regression, the ORs (95% CIs) of the highest quantile to the reference group for higher total PSA were 2.039 (1.018 – 4.084) in the total study population and 2.219 (1.083–4.548) in the high eGFR group. The ORs (95% CIs) of the highest quantile to the reference group for a lower PSA ratio were 1.979 (1.057 – 3.707) in the total study population and 2.101 (1.086 – 4.064) in the high eGFR group. By linear regression, a marginally significant positive correlation between urinary 3-PBA and total PSA (β ± Standard Error = 0.049 ± 0.026, p = 0.0712) and a significant positive correlation between urinary 3-PBA and PSA ratio (β ± Standard Error = 0.018 ± 0.007, p = 0.0191) among the low eGFR group were observed. This study showed that exposure to pyrethroids was associated with either increased levels of total PSA or alterations in the PSA ratio.