Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003-2004.

ABSTRACT: Biomonitoring studies show that humans carry a body burden of multiple classes of contaminants which are not often studied together. Many of these chemicals may be hepatotoxic. We used the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to evaluate the relationship between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and 37 environmental contaminants, comprising heavy metals, non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxin-like compounds, using a novel method. Linear regression models were constructed for each chemical separately, then as a class, using quartiles to represent exposure and adjusting for age, sex, race, income, and BMI. We then used an optimization approach to compile a weighted sum of the quartile scores, both within and across chemical classes. Using the optimiza

SUBMITTER: Yorita Christensen KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3713174 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature