Bisphenol A Exposure in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case-control study comparing urinary BPA levels and metabolomics between children with ASD and neurotypical controls.
PubMed 25641946 · doi:10.1002/aur.1444
What was done
Urine specimens were collected from 46 children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 52 neurotypical controls (total n = 98). Free and total Bisphenol-A (BPA) concentrations were measured via mass spectrometry, the fraction of glucuronidated (bound) BPA was calculated, and a metabolomics analysis was conducted to assess urinary metabolite distributions.
What was found
Most excreted BPA was in the glucuronide form. Approximately 20% of children with ASD had BPA levels exceeding the 90th percentile (>50 ng/mL) of the total sample distribution. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found between groups for both total and percentage bound BPA. In metabolomics profiling, the number of absolute partial correlations >|0.30| between metabolites and total BPA was ~3 times greater in the ASD group than in controls (P < 0.001), and ~15 times higher for percentage bound BPA (P < 0.001).
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary evidence linking differences in BPA concentration and glucuronidation efficiency to autism spectrum disorders, suggesting potential alterations in plasticizer metabolism or exposure.
Limits
The study is limited by a small sample size (46 cases, 52 controls) and a case-control design that cannot establish causality. Single spot-urine measurements reflect recent exposure rather than critical early neurodevelopmental windows. Confounders such as specific dietary habits, age, sex matching, or behavioral differences influencing plastic contact were not described in the abstract.
Cited by
- partial Individuals with autism spectrum disorder are 30 times less likely to excrete BPA compared to neurotypical individuals.