Association of serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and gestational anemia during different trimesters in Zhuang ethnic pregnancy women of Guangxi, China

Association of Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) exposures and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: a case-control study in China

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) may have a role in impaired health. However, the data on the association between PFASs and Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been limited. We designed a population-based case-control study in China and evaluated the association. 100 normal persons (Control) and 100 SLE patients (Case) were obtained from 113 controls and 125 cases according to matching conditions. Serum samples were collected by venipuncture for UHPLC-MRM-MS Analysis to obtain the concentration of five PFASs in participants. Demographic characterization description was performed for the two groups of participants, the PFASs concentration distribution of the two groups was described and compared, then divided into three tiers (< 50th, 50th ~ 75th, > 75th) for subsequent analysis. Conditional logistic regression models were utilized to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for SLE. Relationship between changes in the concentration of PFASs and the risk of SLE assessed by restricted cubic spline. As the highest serum levels of the five PFASs tested in this study population, the highest perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) quartile had a 2.78-fold (95%CI: 1.270, 6.10) compared with the lowest quartile of PFUnA exposure, other types of PFASs also showed high association with SLE as well as PFASs mixture. Additionally, the exposure of PFASs exist a dose-response relationship (ptrend < 0.05). This risk association remained be found after adjusting the covariates in model 1 (adjustment of BMI) and in model 2(adjustment of BMI, smoking, drinking, hypertension and leukocyte). The restricted cubic spline illustrated a gradual increase in the possible risk of SLE with the increasing exposure of PFASs components levels. Our study firstly revealed that PFASs are risk factors for SLE and PFASs exposures are associated with SLE risk in a dose - response manner. Evidence from larger and more adequately powered cohort studies is needed to confirm our results.

Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and pregnancy outcome in Austria

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of persistent industrial chemicals that can harm reproductive health. PFAS levels were analysed to determine the current sources of exposure and possible associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and adverse pregnancy outcome. Samples from 136 mother-newborn pairs recruited between 2017 and 2019 were analysed for the presence of 31 target PFAS in maternal serum, umbilical cord serum, and placental tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer. Questionnaires and medical records were used to survey sources of exposure and pregnancy outcome, including small for gestational age (SGA), fetal growth restriction (FGR), preeclampsia (PE), preterm birth, large for gestational age (LGA) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Data were analysed for individual PFAS and sum4PFAS (sum of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) serum levels) in logistic regression analyses and categorical regression analyses. Compared to data from a previous Viennese study in 2010-12, sum4PFAS levels were generally lower. Sum4PFAS serum levels of three women (2.2%) exceeded 6.9 µg/L, a level that corresponds to the recently established tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of EFSA for nursing mothers aged 35 years; in the 2010/2012 study it was 13.6%. The large contribution of unidentified extractable organofluorine (EOF) fractions to total PFAS exposure is a concern. Study site, mean maternal corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), use of facial lotion, and owning upholstered furniture were significantly influencing maternal exposure. While no effect of sum4PFAS on pregnancy outcome could be detected, we found highest placental PFDA levels in SGA births. PFHxS levels in umbilical cord and placenta were highest in preterm births. Further studies are needed to elucidate the relationship of prenatal PFAS exposure and pregnancy outcome, in particular to confirm whether and how placental PFDA levels may contribute to an increased risk for SGA.