Potential inverse relationship found between phthalates and kidney function in pilot study
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PHILADELPHIA — An examination of patients with chronic kidney disease identified comparable amounts of organic pollutant contamination to the baseline population, according to data from a pilot study presented at ASN Kidney Week.
Of the 52 compounds assayed in the study, more than half were detected in a plurality of the 40-patient sample, resulting in “a wide range of association with changes in kidney function,” the researchers wrote in their study abstract.
“We identified about 30 of them, which are detectable among at least half of our sample of 40 patients. So, we found this to be interesting to do, and we did have some interesting results,” Wenbo Wu, PhD, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor in the department of medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said.
Although the sample was not statistically significant, Wu said that the findings resulted in a greater focus on exposure to the phthalate class of contaminants. There were indications that exposure to these compounds, including melamine, bisphenol F and mono-benzyl phthalate, could be linked with kidney deterioration.
“I think for certain exposures of these pollutants, we identified an inverse relationship between certain types of chemical compounds and the eGFR, which is a useful measure of kidney function. So, an inverse relationship means that those chemical compounds are detrimental to kidney function for CKD patients,” Wu said.
Despite the lack of a large enough sample for statistical significance, Wu said that greater scholarship should examine this potential inverse relationship and the effects on CKD.
“This is a proof of concept, meaning that at least we can do something about looking at the impact of chemical compounds and these pollutants on the kidney function of patients with CKD. We were excited about the provenance of the study,” Wu said.
Reference:
- Trachtman H, et al. TH-PO1018. Presented at: ASN Kidney Week; Nov. 2-5, 2023; Philadelphia.
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