Urinary metabolomics reveals associations between benzophenone exposure and thyroid function in children: A...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Endocrinology
• Metabolomics

Background:

• Benzophenones (BPs) are suspected endocrine disruptors with limited evidence of thyroid disruption in children.
• Understanding the biological mechanisms linking BP exposure to thyroid dysfunction is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between urinary BP metabolites and thyroid hormones in children.
• To explore the underlying metabolic mechanisms mediating these effects using metabolomics.

Main Methods:

• Panel study of 140 children (aged 4-12 years) with repeated urine and serum samples.
• Measurement of five BPs in urine and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and free triiodothyronine (FT3).
• Untargeted urinary metabolomics and mediation analysis with a meet-in-the-middle approach.

Main Results:

• BP-1, BP-3, and BP-8 were associated with elevated TSH and reduced FT3.
• BP mixture exposure was linked to increased TSH and decreased FT3, with BP-1, BP-3, and BP-8 as primary contributors.
• Cysteine and methionine metabolism, involving dipeptides, emerged as a key mediating pathway.

Conclusions:

• Both individual and mixture BP exposures can alter thyroid function in children.
• Metabolic perturbations, especially in cysteine/methionine pathways and dipeptide metabolites, are potential mechanisms.
• Findings highlight the need to consider BP exposure in pediatric thyroid health.