Relationship between Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether Exposure and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study among Petrol Station Attendants in Southern China

Jianping Yang, Qinzhi Wei, Xiaochun Peng, Xiaowu Peng, Jianhui Yuan and Dalin Hu
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Jianping Yang: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Qinzhi Wei: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
Xiaochun Peng: South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China
Xiaowu Peng: South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China
Jianhui Yuan: Department of Toxicology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, China
Dalin Hu: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-9

Abstract: Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE)—A well known gasoline additive substituting for lead alkyls—causes lipid disorders and liver dysfunctions in animal models. However, whether MTBE exposure is a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains uncertain. We evaluate the possible relationship between MTBE exposure and the prevalence of NAFLD among 71 petrol station attendants in southern China. The personal exposure concentrations of MTBE were analyzed by Head Space Solid Phase Microextraction GC/MS. NAFLD was diagnosed by using abdominal ultrasonography according to the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD suggested by the Chinese Hepatology Association. Demographic and clinical characteristics potentially associated with NAFLD were investigated. Mutivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to measure odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The result showed that the total prevalence of NAFLD was 15.49% (11/71) among the study subjects. The average exposure concentrations of MTBE were 292.98 ± 154.90 ?g/m 3 and 286.64 ± 122.28 ?g/m 3 in NAFLD and non-NAFLD groups, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between them ( p > 0.05). After adjusting for age, gender, physical exercise, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), white blood cell (WBC), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the odds ratios were 1.31 (95% CI: 0.85–1.54; p > 0.05), 1.14 (95% CI: 0.81–1.32; p > 0.05), 1.52 (95% CI: 0.93–1.61; p > 0.05) in the groups (including men and women) with exposure concentrations of MTBE of 100–200 ?g/m 3 , 200–300 ?g/m 3 , and ?300 ?g/m 3 , respectively, as compared to the group (including men and women) ?100 ?g/m 3 . Our investigation indicates that exposure to MTBE does not seem to be a significant risk factor for the prevalence of NAFLD among petrol station attendants in southern China.

Keywords: methyl tertiary butyl ether; environmental pollution; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; epidemiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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