The Association between 4-Tertiary-Octylphenol, Apoptotic Microparticles, and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in a Young Taiwanese Population

Chien-Yu Lin; Ching-Way Chen; Chikang Wang; Fung-Chang Sung; Ta-Chen Su

doi:10.3390/toxics11090757

The Association between 4-Tertiary-Octylphenol, Apoptotic Microparticles, and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in a Young Taiwanese Population

Toxics. 2023 Sep 6;11(9):757. doi: 10.3390/toxics11090757.

Authors

Chien-Yu Lin^{1

2

3}, Ching-Way Chen⁴, Chikang Wang³, Fung-Chang Sung^{5

6}, Ta-Chen Su^{7

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, En Chu Kong Hospital, New Taipei City 237, Taiwan.
² School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242, Taiwan.
³ Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Cardiology, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin 640, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Health Services Administration, China Medical University College of Public Health, Taichung 404, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Food Nutrition and Health Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung 413, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
⁸ Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
⁹ Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan.

Abstract

As one of the most common alkylphenols, 4-tertiary-octylphenol (4-tOP) is commonly used in many consumer products. Our previous epidemiological study revealed a negative correlation between serum 4-tOP levels and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), which serves as a biomarker of arteriosclerosis. We aimed to explore the role of apoptotic microparticles, markers of vascular endothelial cell function, in the 4-tOP and CIMT connection. To investigate this, we enrolled 886 Taiwanese adolescents and young adults (aged 12-30 years) and examined the relationships among serum 4-tOP levels, apoptotic microparticles (CD31+/CD42a-, CD31+/CD42a+), and CIMT. Our results showed negative associations among serum 4-tOP levels, both apoptotic microparticles, and CIMT in multiple linear regression analysis. The odds ratios for CIMT (≥75th percentile) and the natural logarithm of 4-tOP were highest when both CD31+/CD42a- and CD31+/CD42a+ were greater than the 50th percentile. Conversely, the odds ratios were lowest when both CD31+/CD42a- and CD31+/CD42a+ were less than the 50th percentile. In the structural equation model, we demonstrated that serum 4-tOP levels were negatively correlated with CIMT and indirectly and negatively correlated with CIMT through both apoptotic microparticles. In conclusion, our study reported the inverse association between 4-tOP apoptotic microparticles and CIMT in a young Taiwanese population. Further experimental studies are needed to clarify these associations.

Keywords: 4-tertiary-octylphenol (4-tOP); CD31+/CD42a+; CD31+/CD42a−; apoptotic microparticles; common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT).

Abstract

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