#5395 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PARABEN EXPOSURE AND EARLY RENAL INJURY IN A MIDDLE-AGED ADULT IN TAIWAN

Abstract Background and Aims Parabens are a class of preservatives used in the cosmetics industry and are widely used in people's daily lives, including personal care products (PCPs), pharmaceuticals and food. Epidemiological studies concerning the relations of exposure to parabens with renal function were limited. We aimed to investigate the potential sources of paraben exposure, estimate the daily intake (DI) of four parabens based on their urinary levels and the association between urinary paraben and renal function in a middle-aged adult population in Taiwan. Method We recruited 591 subjects aged from ≥40 to <65 years old (yrs) who have participated in Taiwan Environmental Survey for Toxicants (TEST) study from 2013-2016. Urinary parabens including methylparaben (MeP), ethylparaben (EtP), propylparaben (PrP), and butylparaben (BuP) are measured by liquid chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry. The cross-sectional analysis of the association between urinary paraben and biomarkers of renal function have also been established. Results The urinary MeP, EtP, PrP and BuP (median) levels were measured at 442, 42.9, 107 and 5.92 μg/L, respectively, which were also 10 times higher than those in other countries. Subjects aged from ≥55 to <65 yrs had higher urinary MeP and EtP levels and DI than those aged from ≥40 to <55 yrs (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2). The median of DI was higher in lotion, perfume and nail polish users than those seldom used (Fig. 3). However, there was no significant difference between DI and PCPs usage, or the cumulative usage of PCPs by gender. The median of creatinine, microalbumin, urinary protein and uric acid were significantly higher in men than in women, the albumin to creatinine ratio was significantly higher in women (3.73 mg/g) than in men (3.05 mg/g). Conclusion The urinary paraben concentration of middle-aged adults in Taiwan was significantly higher than those in US, Canada, and Korea. There was no significant difference among paraben levels, age and gender. PCPs usage was a source of paraben exposure.