Bisphenol A Exposure and Asthma Development in School-Age Children: A Longitudinal Study: e111383

• Published in: PloS one 2014-10, Vol.9 (10)
• Main Authors: Kim, Kyoung-Nam, Kim, Jin Hee, Kwon, Ho-Jang, Hong, Soo-Jong, Kim, Byoung-Ju, Lee, So-Yeon, Hong, Yun-Chul, Bae, Sanghyuk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111383

Background Although the effect of bisphenol A on various health outcomes has been extensively examined, few studies have investigated its effect on asthma. Objective We hypothesized that exposure to bisphenol A in school-age children was associated with wheezing and asthma. Methods Participants included 127 children aged 7-8 years without a previous asthma diagnosis in an elementary school in Seoul, Korea. Three surveys were conducted, each 2 years apart. Bisphenol A concentration was measured at the baseline survey, and PC20, which is defined as the methacholine concentration that induces a decrease in FEV1 of 20% from baseline, was measured at every survey. Associations between bisphenol A concentration at 7-8 years of age and wheezing, asthma, and PC20 at ages up to 11-12 years were examined using generalized estimating equations, a marginal Cox regression model, and a linear mixed model. Results The log-transformed creatinine-adjusted urinary bisphenol A concentration at 7-8 years was positively associated with wheezing (odds ratio, 2.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-5.31; P = .02) and asthma (hazard ratio, 2.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-3.00; P