Early-Life Exposure to Organic Chemical Pollutants as Assessed in Primary Teeth and Cardiometabolic Risk in Mexican American Children: A Pilot Study

Early-life exposure to organic chemicals (OCs) may influence childhood obesity and associated cardiometabolic risk. These conditions have been shown to disproportionately affect minority populations such as Mexican Americans (MAs). However, information on the impact of organic chemicals on cardiometabolic risk in MA children is limited. Therefore, we conducted a pilot study to assess the extent to which exposure to organic chemicals influences cardiometabolic traits (CMTs) in MA children. We recalled 25 children from a previous study and collected 25 primary teeth from them. Chemical analyses of the teeth were performed using established protocols. Target analytes included acetaminophen (APAP); 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), 2-isopropyl-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinol (IMPy), diethyl phosphate (DEP), N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP). The organic chemicals most frequently detected in the teeth were APAP; the insect repellent DEET; plasticizers MnBP and MiBP; and the plasticizer-derived metabolite MEHP. These five analytes were included in association analyses with selected CMTs. After adjusting for covariate (age, sex, tooth-type) effects, we found significant (p < 0.05) positive correlations between MiBP and the following CMTs: fat mass, fasting insulin, and the homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Both MnBP and MEHP exhibited negative correlation with blood pressure measures and triglycerides, respectively. In addition, APAP showed a strong negative correlation with HDL-C (p = 0.009) and positive association with triglycerides (p < 0.10). These findings suggest a potential role for early-life exposures to organic chemicals in influencing cardiometabolic risk in MA children.