E-POSTER DETAIL | 11th Asia Pacific Tele Ophthalmology Society Symposium

Title
Flame retardant exposure as a newly identified risk factor for ocular diseases: an integrated assessment from population-based analysis to network toxicology

Authors
Lina Meng, Haidong Zou

Presenting
Lina Meng

PURPOSE:
Visual impairment and blindness are a substantial global health burden. While flame retardants (FRs) are widespread environmental contaminants associated with systemic toxicity and experimental ocular damage, population‑level evidence linking FR exposure to major eye diseases remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate whether exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organophosphate ester FRs (OPEs) is associated with common ocular diseases, and to identify potential molecular mechanisms.

PURPOSE:

Visual impairment and blindness are a substantial global health burden. While flame retardants (FRs) are widespread environmental contaminants associated with systemic toxicity and experimental ocular damage, population‑level evidence linking FR exposure to major eye diseases remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate whether exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organophosphate ester FRs (OPEs) is associated with common ocular diseases, and to identify potential molecular mechanisms.

METHODS:
We used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2008 and 2011–2020. Eight brominated flame retardants and five organophosphate ester were included in the exposure assessment. We applied weighted logistic regression, restricted cubic splines, weighted quantile sum regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression to estimate both individual chemical associations and mixture effects of flame retardant exposure on ocular diseases. Network toxicology and molecular docking were further used to explore potential molecular mechanisms.

METHODS:

We used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2008 and 2011–2020. Eight brominated flame retardants and five organophosphate ester were included in the exposure assessment. We applied weighted logistic regression, restricted cubic splines, weighted quantile sum regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression to estimate both individual chemical associations and mixture effects of flame retardant exposure on ocular diseases. Network toxicology and molecular docking were further used to explore potential molecular mechanisms.

RESULTS:
Higher urinary BDCPP and DBUP were significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR), and higher serum PBDE153 was related to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Mixed OPE exposure was associated with DR in males, while mixed BFR exposure was related to AMD and DR in females, with DBUP and PBDE153 as major contributors. Network toxicology suggested DBUP‑associated DR involved transcriptional regulation and cytokine responses. PBDE153‑related AMD was characterized by focal adhesion and PI3K–Akt signaling. Molecular docking verified stable binding to key target proteins.

RESULTS:

Higher urinary BDCPP and DBUP were significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR), and higher serum PBDE153 was related to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Mixed OPE exposure was associated with DR in males, while mixed BFR exposure was related to AMD and DR in females, with DBUP and PBDE153 as major contributors. Network toxicology suggested DBUP‑associated DR involved transcriptional regulation and cytokine responses. PBDE153‑related AMD was characterized by focal adhesion and PI3K–Akt signaling. Molecular docking verified stable binding to key target proteins.

CONCLUSIONS:
Overall, DBUP and PBDE153 may be potential risk factors for DR and AMD, respectively, warranting further prospective and experimental validation.