RATIONALE: This study was aimed to investigate the associations between environmental phthalates exposure and the allergy- and inflammation-related cytokines in children.METHODS: A total of 101 pre-school children, recruited from a prior cross-sectional questionnaire survey in southern Taiwan, were invited to clinic for respiratory and allergic symptom diagnosis and serum sample collection. Serum samples were stored at -80°C until analyzed after one to two years later. Levels of eight different cytokines in sera of study children were measured by multiplex flow cytometry. Urine collected from study subjects were measured by GC/MS for seven phthalate metabolites (MMP, MEP, MBP, MBzP, MEHP, MEHHP and MEOHP) as the surrogate indicators of overall phthalates exposure from oral, inhaled and skin absorbed route.RESULTS: The detection rate for IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-13, TNF-α and IFN-γ in the sera were 13%, 52%, 22%, 89%, 15%, 19%, 44% and 49%, respectively. The significant higher level of IL-8 was found in the group with higher exposure level of MEHP (>10.43 ug/g creatinine). On the contrary, the significant lower level of IFN-γ was found in the group with higher exposure level of MBP (>54.43 ug/g creatinine), MBzP (>5.11 ug/g creatinine) and MEOHP (>44.01 ug/g creatinine), and inversely correlated with MBzP level (r=-0.35, p=0.01). Furthermore, higher level of IL-4 was found significantly associated with increasing level of MEHP (r=0.55, p=0.05) and MEHHP (r=0.63, p=0.02) in children' urine.CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that environmental phthalates exposure was associated with the TH2 inflammatory responses in our study children. RATIONALE: This study was aimed to investigate the associations between environmental phthalates exposure and the allergy- and inflammation-related cytokines in children. METHODS: A total of 101 pre-school children, recruited from a prior cross-sectional questionnaire survey in southern Taiwan, were invited to clinic for respiratory and allergic symptom diagnosis and serum sample collection. Serum samples were stored at -80°C until analyzed after one to two years later. Levels of eight different cytokines in sera of study children were measured by multiplex flow cytometry. Urine collected from study subjects were measured by GC/MS for seven phthalate metabolites (MMP, MEP, MBP, MBzP, MEHP, MEHHP and MEOHP) as the surrogate indicators of overall phthalates exposure from oral, inhaled and skin absorbed route. RESULTS: The detection rate for IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-13, TNF-α and IFN-γ in the sera were 13%, 52%, 22%, 89%, 15%, 19%, 44% and 49%, respectively. The significant higher level of IL-8 was found in the group with higher exposure level of MEHP (>10.43 ug/g creatinine). On the contrary, the significant lower level of IFN-γ was found in the group with higher exposure level of MBP (>54.43 ug/g creatinine), MBzP (>5.11 ug/g creatinine) and MEOHP (>44.01 ug/g creatinine), and inversely correlated with MBzP level (r=-0.35, p=0.01). Furthermore, higher level of IL-4 was found significantly associated with increasing level of MEHP (r=0.55, p=0.05) and MEHHP (r=0.63, p=0.02) in children' urine. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that environmental phthalates exposure was associated with the TH2 inflammatory responses in our study children.