The analysis of endocrine disruptors in patients with central precocious puberty

A few studies have reported a positive association between phthalate exposure and pubertal timing, but several conflicting reports exist. The main objective of the study was to determine whether phthalate exposure was associated with central precocious puberty in girls.

This was a multicenter case-control study wherein 47 girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) and 47 controls (26 pre-pubertal girls and 21 pubertal girls) were enrolled. No obese girls were included. Five phthalate metabolites (creatinine adjusted) and bisphenol A (BPA) were measured in the first spot urine samples of these 94 girls in the early morning.

The median values of monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate (MECPP), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate (MEHHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate (MEOHP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) were 3.1, 29.3, 18.0, 15.4, and 25.2 μg/g creatinine in the CPP group, 4.3, 53.7, 35.7, 29.1, and 66.0 μg/g creatinine in the pre-pubertal control group, and 1.7, 28.7, 21.4, 12.1, and 33.3 μg/g creatinine in the pubertal control group, respectively. The urinary concentration of the five phthalates was significantly lower in the CPP group than in the pre-pubertal control group (P < 0.001). Conversely, there was no significant difference in the urinary concentration of the five phthalates between the CPP and pubertal control groups (P values: 0.077 for MBzP, 0.733 for MECPP, 0.762 for MEHHP, 0.405 for MEOHP, and 0.981 for MnBP). In addition, the BPA level was not significantly different between the CPP and pubertal control groups (BPA median values: 0.63 μg/g creatinine, the CPP group; 1.7 μg/g creatinine, the pubertal control group; P value = 0.092).

Our study showed that there was no significant difference in the urinary phthalate levels between the CPP and pubertal control groups. Moreover, phthalate metabolites were significantly lower in the CPP group than in the pre-pubertal control group. Further investigation about endocrine disruptors and pubertal progression is needed.