Association between gut microbiota composition and liver dysfunction in school-aged children exposed to triclosan

Growing epidemiological evidence implicate endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the development of liver dysfunction across populations. However, the effects of mixed EDC exposure on children's liver function remains critically limited. This study investigated the association between co-exposure to three prevalent EDCs - bisphenol S, triclosan (TCS), and methylparaben - and liver function, as measured by the aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio (AST/ALT), in school-aged children. Using g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression, we found consistent positive associations between the EDCs mixture and elevated AST/ALT levels, with TCS emerging as the primary contributor. Stratification by median TCS exposure revealed significant gut microbiota compositional differences between high- and low-exposure groups. Mediation analysis identified Desulfovibrio as a key microbial mediator, explaining 48.5 % of the TCS-associated effect on AST/ALT. Our findings suggest that EDC co-exposure, particularly to TCS, may promote subclinical liver injury in children, potentially mediated through gut microbiome alterations. These results highlight the need for longitudinal studies to confirm these associations and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.