Insights into the Adverse Effects of Parabens on Human Health: Based on Associations with Target Lipid Molecules

The association between Parabens (PBs) and human health remains unclear. Target lipid molecules (TLs) in serum serve as biomarkers of pathological processes and contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of PBs toxicity. This study attempted to explore the pathogenic mechanism of PBs by revealing the association between PBs and TLs. Urine and serum samples were collected from 120 members from the general population of Wuxi, and information on lifestyle habits and health status of the participants was collected through questionnaires. The association between PBs and TLs was analyzed using univariate and multivariate generalized additive models. There was a 100% detection rate of four PBs in urine, including Methyl paraben (MeP), Ethyl paraben (EtP), Propyl paraben (PrP), and Heptyl paraben (HtP). Five TLs were detected in serum, including docosahexaenoic acid [FA (22:6)], 18:0 phosphocholine [LysoPC (18:0)], 18:0 phosphoethanolamine [LysoPE (18:0)], D18:1–18:0 sphingomyelin [SM (d18:1/18:0)] and 18:1–18:1 diglycerol [DG (18:1/18:1)]. Significant non-linear correlations were observed between LysoPE (18:0), PrP (EDF = 2.097, P = 0.008) and MeP (EDF = 2.306, P = 0.007) in the multivariate model. Significant sex-specificity relationships were observed between TLs and PBs. The correlation between LysoPE (18:0) and PrP remained significantly curve-smoothed in males (EDF = 2.065, P = 0.034), but linear in females (EDF = 1, P = 0.012). Findings suggest that PBs exposure may be associated with the development of a range of diseases, and that the associations are sex-specific. Further studies are needed to assess and confirm the possible adverse effects of PBs.