Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines and Risk of Kidney Stones: A Cross-Sectional Study in US Adults.

Background: Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are a group of harmful substances produced while cooking meat at high temperatures. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between HAAs and the occurrence of kidney stones.

Methods: Data on the level of four HAAs, including 2-Amino-9H-pyrido [2, 3-b] indole (A-α-C), 1-Methyl-9H-pyrido [3, 4-b] indole (Harman), 9H-Pyrido [3, 4-b] indole (Norharman), and 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4, 5-b] pyridine (PhIP), in the urine from adult participants were extracted from the 2013-2014 NHANES database. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance confounding variables between the stone former and non-stone former groups, and logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between HAAs and the occurrence of kidney stones.

Results: Of the 1,558 eligible participants, a history of kidney stones was self-reported by 140 (9.0%). Compared to non-stone formers, stone formers had higher concentrations of A-α-C, Harman, and Norharman and lower concentrations of PhlP in urine. After adjusting for all other confounding variables, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the high-Harman group had a higher risk of kidney stones than the low-Harman group [adjusted odds ratios (aOR) = 1.618, 95% CI: 1.076-2.433, = 0.021]. After PSM analysis, Harman concentration remained a risk factor for kidney stones (high-Harman group vs. low-Harman group: aOR = 1.951, 95% CI: 1.059-3.596, = 0.032).

Conclusion: Increased urinary Harman concentrations are associated with an increased risk of kidney stones in the general US population.