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Lohmann R, Abass K, Bonefeld-Jørgensen EC, Bossi R, Dietz R, Ferguson S, Fernie KJ, Grandjean P, Herzke D, Houde M, Lemire M, Letcher RJ, Muir D, De Silva AO, Ostertag SK, Rand AA, Søndergaard J, Sonne C, Sunderland EM, Vorkamp K, Wilson S, Weihe P. Cross-cutting studies of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in Arctic wildlife and humans. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 954:176274. [PMID: 39304148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 09/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
This cross-cutting review focuses on the presence and impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Arctic. Several PFAS undergo long-range transport via atmospheric (volatile polyfluorinated compounds) and oceanic pathways (perfluorinated alkyl acids, PFAAs), causing widespread contamination of the Arctic. Beyond targeting a few well-known PFAS, applying sum parameters, suspect and non-targeted screening are promising approaches to elucidate predominant sources, transport, and pathways of PFAS in the Arctic environment, wildlife, and humans, and establish their time-trends. Across wildlife species, concentrations were dominated by perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), followed by perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); highest concentrations were present in mammalian livers and bird eggs. Time trends were similar for East Greenland ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus). In polar bears, PFOS concentrations increased from the 1980s to 2006, with a secondary peak in 2014-2021, while PFNA increased regularly in the Canadian and Greenlandic ringed seals and polar bear livers. Human time trends vary regionally (though lacking for the Russian Arctic), and to the extent local Arctic human populations rely on traditional wildlife diets, such as marine mammals. Arctic human cohort studies implied that several PFAAs are immunotoxic, carcinogenic or contribute to carcinogenicity, and affect the reproductive, endocrine and cardiometabolic systems. Physiological, endocrine, and reproductive effects linked to PFAS exposure were largely similar among humans, polar bears, and Arctic seabirds. For most polar bear subpopulations across the Arctic, modeled serum concentrations exceeded PFOS levels in human populations, several of which already exceeded the established immunotoxic thresholds for the most severe risk category. Data is typically limited to the western Arctic region and populations. Monitoring of legacy and novel PFAS across the entire Arctic region, combined with proactive community engagement and international restrictions on PFAS production remain critical to mitigate PFAS exposure and its health impacts in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Lohmann
- University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
| | - Khaled Abass
- University of Sharjah, College of Health Sciences, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, The United Arab Emirates; University of Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, Finland
| | - Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen
- Aarhus University, Center for Arctic Health and Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; University of Greenland, Greenland Center for Health Research, GL-3905 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Rossana Bossi
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Steve Ferguson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Arctic Region, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy, Kingston, RI 02881, USA; University of Southern Denmark, Department of Public Health, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Dorte Herzke
- The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Climate and Environmental Health, P.O.Box 222, Skøyen 0213, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Hjalmar Johansen gt 14 9006 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Magali Houde
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, 105 McGill Street, Montreal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada
| | - Mélanie Lemire
- Université Laval, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Département de médecine sociale et préventive & Institut de biologie intégrative et des systèmes, 1030 Av. de la Médecine, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Carleton University, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Derek Muir
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, 897 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Amila O De Silva
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, 897 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Sonja K Ostertag
- University of Waterloo, School of Public Health, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amy A Rand
- Carleton University, Department of Chemistry, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jens Søndergaard
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Christian Sonne
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Elsie M Sunderland
- Harvard University, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - Katrin Vorkamp
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, The Fram Centre, Box 6606 Stakkevollan, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pal Weihe
- The National Hospital of the Faroe Islands, Department of Research, Sigmundargøta 5, FO-100 Torshavn, The Faroe Islands; University of the Faroe Islands, Center of Health Science, Torshavn, The Faroe Islands.
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Antoniou EE, Dekant W. Childhood PFAS exposure and immunotoxicity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human studies. Syst Rev 2024; 13:176. [PMID: 38982538 PMCID: PMC11232141 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-024-02596-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may affect infant and childhood health through immunosuppression. However, the findings of epidemiological literature examining relationships between prenatal/childhood PFAS exposure and vaccine response and infection in humans are still inconclusive. The aim of this review was to examine the effects of PFAS exposure on vaccine antibody response and infection in humans. METHODS The MEDLINE/Pubmed database was searched for publications until 1 February 2023 to identify human studies on PFAS exposure and human health. Eligible for inclusion studies had to have an epidemiological study design and must have performed logistic regression analyses of gestational or childhood exposure to PFAS against either antibody levels for pediatric vaccines or the occurrence of children's infectious diseases. Information on baseline exposure to PFAS (in ng/mL), the age of PFAS exposure (gestational or in years), and the outcome was measured, potentially leading to multiple exposure-outcome comparisons within each study was collected. Percentage change and standard errors of antibody titers and occurrence of infectious diseases per doubling of PFAS exposure were calculated, and a quality assessment of each study was performed. RESULTS Seventeen articles were identified matching the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. In general, a small decrease in antibody response and some associations between PFAS exposure and childhood infections were observed. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis summarizes the findings of PFAS effects on infant and childhood immune health. The immunosuppression findings for infections yielded suggestive evidence related to PFAS exposure, particularly PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFNA but moderate to no evidence regarding antibody titer reduction. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION The research protocol of this systematic review is registered and accessible at the Open Science Framework ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5M2VU ).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wolfgang Dekant
- Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Sigvaldsen A, Højsager FD, Paarup HM, Beck IH, Timmermann CAG, Boye H, Nielsen F, Halldorsson TI, Nielsen C, Möller S, Barington T, Grandjean P, Jensen TK. Early-life exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and serum antibody concentrations towards common childhood vaccines in 18-month-old children in the Odense Child Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 242:117814. [PMID: 38042520 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with reduced antibody response to childhood vaccinations. Previous studies have mostly focused on antibodies against diphtheria or tetanus, while fewer studies have assessed antibodies toward attenuated viruses, such as measles, mumps or rubella (MMR). Therefore, we set out to determine associations between prenatal and early postnatal PFAS exposure and vaccine-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the background-exposed Odense Child Cohort. Blood samples were drawn in pregnancy at gestation weeks 8-16 and from the offspring at age 18 months. In the maternal serum samples we quantified perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA). In the offspring serum samples we quantified the same five PFAS compounds and IgG towards diphtheria, tetanus and MMR. A total of 880 and 841 children were included in the analyses of diphtheria and tetanus or MMR, respectively. Multiple linear regression models were used for estimation of difference in virus-specific IgG per doubling of PFAS concentrations. Maternal PFAS concentrations were non-significantly inversely associated with most vaccine-specific antibody concentrations. Likewise, child PFAS concentrations were associated with non-significant reductions of antibodies towards tetanus and MMR. A significant reduction in the percent difference in mumps antibody concentration per doubling of child PFNA (-9.2% (95% confidence interval: -17.4;-0.2)), PFHxS (-8.3% (-15.0;-1.0) and PFOS (-7.9% (-14.8;-0.4) was found. These findings are of public health concern, as inadequate response towards childhood vaccines may represent a more general immune dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Sigvaldsen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 5000, Odense, Denmark; Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Frederik Damsgaard Højsager
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 5000, Odense, Denmark; Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Iben Have Beck
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 5000, Odense, Denmark; Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Henriette Boye
- Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Odense Child Cohort, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Christel Nielsen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sören Möller
- Open Patient data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Torben Barington
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 5000, Odense, Denmark; Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløwsvej 17A, 5000, Odense, Denmark; Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
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Chen Y, Paul KC, Walker DI, Jones DP, Wang X, Ritz BR, Heck JE. Neonatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure in relation to retinoblastoma. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117435. [PMID: 37866539 PMCID: PMC10842486 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure can disrupt hormonal homeostasis and induce neuro- and immunotoxicity in children. In this exploratory study, we investigated associations between PFAS levels in neonatal dried blood spots and retinoblastoma risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study included 501 retinoblastoma cases born from 1983 to 2011 and 899 controls frequency-matched by birth year (20:1 matching ratio), born to 755 US-born and 366 Mexico-born mothers in California. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perflurooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) feature intensities were identified from neonatal blood spots from California newborn Genetic Disease Screening Program. Using logistic regression, we assessed whether an interquartile range (IQR) increase of PFAS levels or having above-mean levels of PFAS in blood affects retinoblastoma risk overall or its subtypes (i.e., unilateral, bilateral). We assessed children of US-born and Mexico-born mothers, separately. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Among all children, above-mean PFOS levels at birth increased the odds of retinoblastoma overall by 29% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.00, 1.67) and unilateral retinoblastoma by 42% (95% CI: 1.03, 1.97). For children of Mexico-born mothers, we estimated the highest odds of retinoblastoma overall (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.67; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.66) and bilateral retinoblastoma (aOR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.12, 3.92) with above-mean PFOS levels. Among children of US-born mothers, higher PFOS levels increased the odds of unilateral retinoblastoma by 15% (95% CI: 0.99, 1.35) for each IQR increase and by 71% among children with above-mean PFOS levels (95% CI: 1.04, 2.90). In addition, for children of US-born mothers, PFOA increased the odds of retinoblastoma overall (aOR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.02 for above-mean levels, aOR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.16 per IQR increase). PFNA was not associated with retinoblastoma risk. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggested that PFOS and PFOA might contribute to retinoblastoma risk in children born in California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kimberly C Paul
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Douglas I Walker
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dean P Jones
- Clinical Biomarkers Laboratory, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xuexia Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Beate R Ritz
- Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julia E Heck
- Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA; College of Health and Public Service, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA.
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Hollister J, Caban-Martinez AJ, Ellingson KD, Beitel S, Fowlkes AL, Lutrick K, Tyner HL, Naleway AL, Yoon SK, Gaglani M, Hunt D, Meece J, Mayo Lamberte J, Schaefer Solle N, Rose S, Dunnigan K, Khan SM, Kuntz JL, Fisher JM, Coleman A, Britton A, Thiese MS, Hegmann KT, Pavuk M, Ramadan FA, Fuller S, Nematollahi A, Sprissler R, Burgess JL. Serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance concentrations and longitudinal change in post-infection and post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 239:117297. [PMID: 37816422 PMCID: PMC10842580 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous throughout the United States. Previous studies have shown PFAS exposure to be associated with a reduced immune response. However, the relationship between serum PFAS and antibody levels following SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination has not been examined. We examined differences in peak immune response and the longitudinal decline of antibodies following SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination by serum PFAS levels in a cohort of essential workers in the United States. We measured serum antibodies using an in-house semi-quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Two cohorts contributed blood samples following SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination. We used linear mixed regression models, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, gender, presence of chronic conditions, location, and occupation, to estimate differences in immune response with respect to serum PFAS levels. Our study populations included 153 unvaccinated participants that contributed 316 blood draws over a 14-month period following infection, and 860 participants and 2451 blood draws over a 12-month period following vaccination. Higher perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) concentrations were associated with a lower peak antibody response after infection (p = 0.009, 0.031, 0.015). Higher PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), PFHxS, and PFNA concentrations were associated with slower declines in antibodies over time after infection (p = 0.003, 0.014, 0.026, 0.025). PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and PFNA serum concentrations prior to vaccination were not associated with differences in peak antibody response after vaccination or with differences in decline of antibodies over time after vaccination. These results suggest that elevated PFAS may impede potential immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection by blunting peak antibody levels following infection; the same finding was not observed for immune response to vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Hollister
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - Alberto J Caban-Martinez
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, USA
| | - Katherine D Ellingson
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Shawn Beitel
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Karen Lutrick
- College of Medicine - Tucson, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Allison L Naleway
- Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sarang K Yoon
- University of Utah Health, Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, USA
| | - Manjusha Gaglani
- Baylor Scott and White Health, Temple, TX, USA; Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Temple, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Natasha Schaefer Solle
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, USA
| | | | | | - Sana M Khan
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jennifer L Kuntz
- Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Alissa Coleman
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Matthew S Thiese
- Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kurt T Hegmann
- Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Marian Pavuk
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ferris A Ramadan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Amy Nematollahi
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Ryan Sprissler
- University of Arizona Genetics Core, Office for Research, Innovation and Impact, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jefferey L Burgess
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Zell-Baran LM, Venter C, Dabelea D, Norris JM, Glueck DH, Adgate JL, Brown JM, Calafat AM, Pickett-Nairne K, Starling AP. Prenatal exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances and the incidence of asthma in early childhood. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 239:117311. [PMID: 37805178 PMCID: PMC10843093 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
EXPOSURE TO POLY: and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in early life may increase the risk of childhood asthma, but evidence has been inconsistent. We estimated associations between maternal serum concentrations of PFAS during pregnancy and clinician-diagnosed asthma incidence in offspring through age eight. We included 597 mother-child pairs with PFAS quantified in mid-pregnancy serum and childhood medical records reviewed for asthma diagnoses. We used separate Cox proportional hazards models to assess the relationship between log-transformed concentrations of five PFAS and the incidence of asthma. We estimated associations between the PFAS mixture and clinician-diagnosed asthma incidence using quantile-based g-computation. PFAS concentrations were similar to those among females in the US general population. Seventeen percent of children (N = 104) were diagnosed with asthma during follow-up. Median (interquartile range) duration of follow-up was 4.7 (4.0, 6.2) years, and median age at asthma diagnosis was 1.7 (0.9, 2.8) years. All adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were elevated, but all 95% confidence intervals (CI) included the null. The HR (95% CI) of asthma for a one-quartile increase in the PFAS mixture was 1.17 (0.86, 1.61). In this cohort of children followed to eight years of age, prenatal PFAS concentrations were not significantly associated with incidence of clinician-diagnosed asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Zell-Baran
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA.
| | - Carina Venter
- Section of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jill M Norris
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Deborah H Glueck
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - John L Adgate
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jared M Brown
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kaci Pickett-Nairne
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Anne P Starling
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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7
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Zell-Baran LM, Dabelea D, Norris JM, Glueck DH, Adgate JL, Brown JM, Harrall KK, Calafat AM, Starling AP. Prenatal Exposure to Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (2009-2014) and Vaccine Antibody Titers of Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella in Children Four to Eight Years Old from the Healthy Start Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:127018. [PMID: 38147368 PMCID: PMC10750888 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposures to certain poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are associated with reduced humoral responses to some childhood immunizations. OBJECTIVE We estimated associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and child antibody titers for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and varicella after immunization. METHODS We measured serum antibody titers of 145 children (4-8 y old) enrolled in the Healthy Start cohort in Colorado, whose mothers had PFAS quantified mid-pregnancy (2009-2014). We used linear and logistic regression models to assess the relationship between five PFAS detected in > 65 % of mothers and continuous or non-high-censored ("low") antibody titers and quantile g-computation to evaluate the overall effect of the PFAS mixture. RESULTS Median concentrations of individual PFAS were at or below the median reported among females in the United States. After receiving two vaccine doses, seropositive levels of antibodies were detected among most (93%-100%) children. Each log-unit increase in perfluorononanoate was associated with 2.09 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 3.87] times higher odds of a low measles titer, and each log-unit increase in perfluorooctanoate was associated with 2.46 (95% CI: 1.28, 4.75) times higher odds of a low mumps titer. Odds ratios for all other PFAS were elevated, but CIs included the null. Each quartile increase in the PFAS mixture was associated with 1.35 (95% CI: 0.80, 2.26) times higher odds of a low measles titer and 1.44 (95% CI: 0.78, 2.64) times higher odds of a low mumps titer. No significant associations were observed between PFAS and varicella or rubella antibodies. In stratified analyses, associations were negative among female children, except for perfluorohexane sulfonate and varicella, whereas they were positive among males. DISCUSSION Some prenatal PFAS were associated with lower antibody titers among fully immunized children. The potential for immunotoxic effects of PFAS requires further investigation in a larger study, because exposure is ubiquitous globally. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12863.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Zell-Baran
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jill M. Norris
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Deborah H. Glueck
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - John L. Adgate
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jared M. Brown
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kylie K. Harrall
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Antonia M. Calafat
- National Center for Environmental Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Anne P. Starling
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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8
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Phelps DW, Palekar AI, Conley HE, Ferrero G, Driggers JH, Linder KE, Kullman SW, Reif DM, Sheats MK, DeWitt JC, Yoder JA. Legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances suppress the neutrophil respiratory burst. J Immunotoxicol 2023; 20:2176953. [PMID: 36788734 PMCID: PMC10361455 DOI: 10.1080/1547691x.2023.2176953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in a multitude of processes and products, including nonstick coatings, food wrappers, and fire-fighting foams. These chemicals are environmentally-persistent, ubiquitous, and can be detected in the serum of 98% of Americans. Despite evidence that PFASs alter adaptive immunity, few studies have investigated their effects on innate immunity. The report here presents results of studies that investigated the impact of nine environmentally-relevant PFASs [e.g. perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid potassium salt (PFOS-K), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), ammonium perfluoro(2-methyl-3-oxahexanoate) (GenX), 7H-perfluoro-4-methyl-3,6-dioxa-octane sulfonic acid (Nafion byproduct 2), and perfluoromethoxyacetic acid sodium salt (PFMOAA-Na)] on one component of the innate immune response, the neutrophil respiratory burst. The respiratory burst is a key innate immune process by which microbicidal reactive oxygen species (ROS) are rapidly induced by neutrophils in response to pathogens; defects in the respiratory burst can increase susceptibility to infection. The study here utilized larval zebrafish, a human neutrophil-like cell line, and primary human neutrophils to ascertain whether PFAS exposure inhibits ROS production in the respiratory burst. It was observed that exposure to PFHxA and GenX suppresses the respiratory burst in zebrafish larvae and a human neutrophil-like cell line. GenX also suppressed the respiratory burst in primary human neutrophils. This report is the first to demonstrate that these PFASs suppress neutrophil function and support the utility of employing zebrafish larvae and a human cell line as screening tools to identify chemicals that may suppress human immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drake W. Phelps
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Anika I. Palekar
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Haleigh E. Conley
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Giuliano Ferrero
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Jacob H. Driggers
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Keith E. Linder
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Seth W. Kullman
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Toxicology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - David M. Reif
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Toxicology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - M. Katie Sheats
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Jamie C. DeWitt
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Jeffrey A. Yoder
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Toxicology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
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9
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Huang H, Li X, Deng Y, San S, Qiu D, Guo X, Xu L, Li Y, Zhang H, Li Y. The Association between Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Respiratory Tract Infections in Preschool Children: A Wuhan Cohort Study. TOXICS 2023; 11:897. [PMID: 37999549 PMCID: PMC10674762 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11110897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the association between prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and the incidence and frequency of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in preschool children. We selected 527 mother-infant pairs from Wuhan Healthy Baby Cohort (WHBC), China. Ten PFASs were measured in umbilical cord serum, and we collected data on common RTIs in preschool children aged 4 years through a questionnaire. Associations of single PFASs with the incidence and frequency of RTIs were analyzed via Logistic regression and Poisson regression, while the collective effect was assessed by weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. Furthermore, stratified and interaction analyses were performed to evaluate if there were sex-specific associations. We found a positive correlation between perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA) and the incidence of tonsillitis, with several PFASs also showing positive associations with its frequency. Moreover, perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) showed a positive link with the frequency of common cold. The results of WQS regression revealed that after adjusting for other covariates, PFASs mixture showed a positive association with the incidence of tonsillitis, the frequency of common cold, and episodes. In particular, perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), PFDoDA, PFTrDA, perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and 8:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonic acid (8:2 Cl-PFESA) had the most significant impact on this combined effect. The results suggest that both single and mixed exposures to PFASs may cause RTIs in preschool children. However, there was no statistically significant interaction between different PFASs and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyun Huang
- School of Medicine and Health, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (H.H.); (Y.D.); (S.S.); (D.Q.)
| | - Xiaojun Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China;
| | - Yican Deng
- School of Medicine and Health, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (H.H.); (Y.D.); (S.S.); (D.Q.)
| | - Siyi San
- School of Medicine and Health, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (H.H.); (Y.D.); (S.S.); (D.Q.)
| | - Dongmei Qiu
- School of Medicine and Health, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (H.H.); (Y.D.); (S.S.); (D.Q.)
| | - Xiaoyu Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (X.G.); (L.X.); (Y.L.)
| | - Lingyun Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (X.G.); (L.X.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yang Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (X.G.); (L.X.); (Y.L.)
| | - Hongling Zhang
- School of Medicine and Health, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (H.H.); (Y.D.); (S.S.); (D.Q.)
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China;
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10
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Bailey JM, Wang L, McDonald JM, Gray JS, Petrie JG, Martin ET, Savitz DA, Karrer TA, Fisher KA, Geiger MJ, Wasilevich EA. Immune response to COVID-19 vaccination in a population with a history of elevated exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through drinking water. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 33:725-736. [PMID: 37337047 PMCID: PMC10541329 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00564-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to lower vaccine-induced antibody concentrations in children, while data from adults remains limited and equivocal. Characteristics of PFAS exposure and age at vaccination may modify such effects. OBJECTIVE We used the mass administration of novel COVID-19 vaccines to test the hypothesis that prior exposure to environmentally-relevant concentrations of PFAS affect antibody response to vaccines in adolescents and adults. METHODS Between April and June 2021, 226 participants aged 12-90 years with a history of exposure to PFAS in drinking water and who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine participated in our prospective cohort study. SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies (IgG) were quantified before the first and second vaccine doses and again at two follow-ups in the following months (up to 103 days post dose 1). Serum PFAS concentrations (n = 39 individual PFAS) were measured once for each participant during baseline, before their first vaccination. The association between PFAS exposure and immune response to vaccination was investigated using linear regression and generalized estimating equation (GEE) models with adjustment for covariates that affect antibody response. PFAS mixture effects were assessed using weighted quantile sum and Bayesian kernel machine regression methods. RESULTS The geometric mean (standard deviation) of perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid serum concentrations in this population was 10.49 (3.22) and 3.90 (4.90) µg/L, respectively. PFAS concentrations were not associated with peak anti-spike antibody response, the initial increase in anti-spike antibody response following vaccination, or the waning over time of the anti-spike antibody response. Neither individual PFAS concentrations nor their evaluation as a mixture was associated with antibody response to mRNA vaccination against COVID-19. IMPACT STATEMENT Given the importance of understanding vaccine response among populations exposed to environmental contaminants and the current gaps in understanding this relationship outside of early life/childhood vaccinations, our manuscript contributes meaningful data from an adolescent and adult population receiving a novel vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan M Bailey
- Division of Environmental Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jennifer M McDonald
- Division of Environmental Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jennifer S Gray
- Division of Environmental Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Joshua G Petrie
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI, USA
| | - Emily T Martin
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David A Savitz
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Timothy A Karrer
- Division of Chemistry and Toxicology, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Keri A Fisher
- Division of Chemistry and Toxicology, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Matthew J Geiger
- Division of Chemistry and Toxicology, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Wasilevich
- Division of Environmental Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI, USA
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11
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Sirirungreung A, Hansen J, Ritz B, Heck JE. Association between medically diagnosed postnatal infection and childhood cancers: A matched case-control study in Denmark, 1978 to 2016. Int J Cancer 2023; 153:994-1002. [PMID: 37243370 PMCID: PMC10524667 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Although the association between infection and childhood cancer has been long investigated, there is limited information on rarer cancers. This article aimed to explore the association between postnatal infection and childhood cancers in the Danish population. A matched case-control study was conducted using Danish nationwide registries from 1978 to 2016. Each childhood cancer case was matched 1:25 with controls by birth date within a week and sex. Postnatal infections were identified from the Danish National Patient Registry, which lists diagnoses seen in hospital, specialist or emergency care services. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (adj.OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Specific types of infections and the number of infection episodes were also considered. The study included 4125 childhood cancer cases and 103 526 matched controls with ages ranging from 0 to 19 years. Medically diagnosed postnatal infections were positively associated with many types of childhood cancer including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (adj.OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.23-1.63), acute myeloid leukemia (adj.OR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.28-2.52), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (adj.OR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.19-1.97) and central nervous system tumors (adj.OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.39-1.77). A higher number of infection episodes were also associated with an increased risk of these cancers. Specific infections such as viral, enteric and urinary tract infections were also strongly associated with specific types of cancer. In conclusion, children who later develop cancer appear to have adverse reactions to infections necessitating referral to specialized health care services, perhaps indicating dysregulated immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupong Sirirungreung
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Johnni Hansen
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Beate Ritz
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julia E Heck
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- College of Health and Public Service, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
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12
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Chen C, Song Y, Tang P, Pan D, Wei B, Liang J, Sheng Y, Liao Q, Huang D, Liu S, Qiu X. Association between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substance mixtures and intrauterine growth restriction risk: A large, nested case-control study in Guangxi, China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 262:115209. [PMID: 37418866 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is an abnormal fetal growth pattern that can lead to neonatal morbidity and mortality. IUGR may be affected by prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants, including perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). However, research linking PFAS exposure to IUGR is limited, with inconsistent results. We aimed to investigate the association between PFAS exposure and IUGR by using nested casecontrol study based on Guangxi Zhuang Birth Cohort (GZBC), in Guangxi, China. A total of 200 IUGR cases and 600 controls were enrolled in this study. The maternal serum concentrations of nine PFASs were measured using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLCMS). The associations single and mixed effects of prenatal PFAS exposure on IUGR risk were assessed using conditional logistic regression (single-exposure), Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation (qgcomp) models. In the conditional logistic regression models, the log10-transformed concentrations of perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA, adjusted OR: 4.41, 95% CI: 3.03-6.41), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA, adjusted OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.14-3.32), and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS, adjusted OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.15-2.91) were positively associated with risk of IUGR. In the BKMR models, the combined effect of PFASs was positively associated with IUGR risk. In the qgcomp models, we also found an increased IUGR risk (OR=5.92, 95% CI: 2.33-15.06) when all nine PFASs increased by one tertile as a whole, and PFHpA (43.9%) contributed the largest positive weights. These findings suggested prenatal exposure to single and mixtures of PFASs may increase IUGR risk, with the effect being largely driven by the PFHpA concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchun Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Yanye Song
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530031, China
| | - Peng Tang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Dongxiang Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Bincai Wei
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Jun Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Yonghong Sheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Qian Liao
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Dongping Huang
- Department of Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
| | - Shun Liu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health & Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
| | - Xiaoqiang Qiu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
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13
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Street ME, Shulhai AM, Rotondo R, Giannì G, Caffarelli C. Current knowledge on the effects of environmental contaminants in early life nutrition. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1120293. [PMID: 37324741 PMCID: PMC10267348 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1120293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast milk represents the optimal source of feeding for newborns, in terms of nutritional compounds and as it provides immunological, metabolic, organic, and neurological well-being. As a complex biological fluid, it consists not only of nutritional compounds but also contains environmental contaminants. Formulas through production, contact with bottles and cups, and complementary feeding can also be contaminated. The current review focuses on endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and made-man xenoestrogens present in the environment and both commonly present in food sources, agricultural practices, packaging, consumer products, industry, and medical care. These contaminants are transferred by passive diffusion to breast milk and are delivered during breastfeeding. They mainly act by activating or antagonizing hormonal receptors. We summarize the effects on the immune system, gut microbiota, and metabolism. Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and indirect food additives may induce tissue inflammation and polarize lymphocytes, increase proinflammatory cytokines, promote allergic sensitization, and microbial dysbiosis, activate nuclear receptors and increase the incidence of allergic, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases. Breast milk is the most important optimal source in early life. This mini-review summarizes current knowledge on environmental contaminants and paves the way for strategies to prevent milk contamination and limit maternal and infant exposure during pregnancy and the first months of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E. Street
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Unit of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Anna-Mariia Shulhai
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Unit of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Roberta Rotondo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Unit of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giuliana Giannì
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Unit of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Carlo Caffarelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Unit of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
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14
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Zhou Y, Sun W, Tang Q, Lu Y, Li M, Wang J, Han X, Wu D, Wu W. Effect of prenatal perfluoroheptanoic acid exposure on spermatogenesis in offspring mice. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 260:115072. [PMID: 37262965 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), a persistent organic pollutant widespread in the environment, is suspected as an environmental endocrine disruptor for its disturbance effect on hormone homeostasis and reproductive development. Whereas the effect of intrauterine PFHpA exposure during gestation on spermatogenesis of male offspring mice is still unknown. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore the effect of prenatal PFHpA exposure on the reproductive development of male offspring mice and the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) during the process. METHODS Fifty-six C57BL/6 pregnant mice were randomly divided into 4 groups. During the gestation period, the pregnant mice were exposed to 0, 0.0015, 0.015, and 0.15 mg/kg bw/d PFHpA from gestational day 1 (GD1) to GD16 by oral gavage. The male offspring mice were sacrificed by spinal dislocation at 7 weeks old. The body weight, testicular weight, and brain weight were weighed, and the intra-testicular testosterone was detected. The sperm qualities were analyzed with computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA). The testicular tissues were taken to analyze the pathological changes and examine the global m6A RNA methylation levels. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was adopted to figure out the mRNA expression levels of m6A-related enzymes in testicular tissues of different PFHpA treated groups. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) was applied to further explore the m6A RNA methylation at a whole-genome scale. RESULTS Compared with the control group, no significant differences were observed in body weight, testicular weight, testicular coefficient, and the visceral-brain ratio of testicular tissue in the PFHpA treated groups. And no significant change was observed in intra-testicular testosterone among the four groups. CASA results showed a decrease of sperm count, sperm concentration, and total cell count, as well as an increase of sperm progressive cells' head area after prenatal PFHpA exposure (P < 0.05). Hematoxylin and eosin staining of pathological sections showed seminiferous tubules morphological change, disorder arrangement of seminiferous epithelium, and reduction of spermatogenic cells in the PFHpA treated groups. PFHpA significantly decreased global levels of m6A RNA methylation in testicular tissue (P < 0.05). Besides, qRT-PCR results showed significant alteration of the mRNA expression levels of seven m6A-related enzymes (Mettl3, Mettl5, Mettl14, Pcif1, Wtap, Hnrnpa2b1, and Hnrnpc) in the PFHpA treated groups (P < 0.05). MeRIP-seq results showed a correlation between prenatal PFHpA exposure and activation and binding of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Cnga3 and Mpzl3 showed differential expression in the enrichment subcategories or pathways. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to PFHpA during the gestation period would adversely affect the development of seminiferous tubules and testicular m6A RNA methylation in offspring mice, which subsequently interferes with spermatogenesis and leads to reproductive toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weilian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiuqin Tang
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiwen Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiumei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Di Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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15
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Huo X, Liang W, Tang W, Ao Y, Tian Y, Zhang Q, Zhang J. Dietary and maternal sociodemographic determinants of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance levels in pregnant women. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 332:138863. [PMID: 37156286 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Diet, including drinking water, and demographic characteristics have been associated with PFAS exposure levels in the general population. But data in pregnant women are scarce. We aimed to examine the PFAS levels in relation to these factors in early pregnancy and included 2545 pregnant women in early pregnancy from the Shanghai Birth Cohort. Ten PFAS were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS-MS) in plasma samples at around 14 weeks of gestation. Geometric mean (GM) ratios were used to estimate the associations between demographic characteristics, food intake and source of drinking water and concentrations of nine PFAS with a detection rate of at least 70%, and the total perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (∑PFCA), perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (∑PFSA) and all the PFAS concentrations (∑PFAS). Median concentrations of plasma PFAS ranged from 0.03 ng/mL for PFBS to 11.56 ng/mL for PFOA. In the multivariable linear models, maternal age, parity, parental education level, marine fish, freshwater fish, shellfish, shrimps, crabs, animal kidneys, animal liver, eggs, and bone soup in early pregnancy were positively associated with plasma concentrations of certain PFAS. Whereas pre-pregnancy BMI, plant-based foods, and drinking bottled water were negatively associated with some PFAS concentrations. In summary, this study suggested that fish and seafood, animal offal, and high-fat foods (eggs and bone soup) were significant sources of PFAS. PFAS exposure may be reduced by consuming more plant-based foods and potential interventions, such as drinking water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Huo
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China; Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Weifeng Tang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Yan Ao
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Ying Tian
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Qianlong Zhang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Jun Zhang
- International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China; Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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16
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Uhl M, Schoeters G, Govarts E, Bil W, Fletcher T, Haug LS, Hoogenboom R, Gundacker C, Trier X, Fernandez MF, Calvo AC, López ME, Coertjens D, Santonen T, Murínová ĽP, Richterová D, Brouwere KD, Hauzenberger I, Kolossa-Gehring M, Halldórsson ÞI. PFASs: What can we learn from the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative HBM4EU. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 250:114168. [PMID: 37068413 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were one of the priority substance groups selected which have been investigated under the ambitious European Joint programme HBM4EU (2017-2022). In order to answer policy relevant questions concerning exposure and health effects of PFASs in Europe several activities were developed under HBM4EU namely i) synthesis of HBM data generated in Europe prior to HBM4EU by developing new platforms, ii) development of a Quality Assurance/Quality Control Program covering 12 biomarkers of PFASs, iii) aligned and harmonized human biomonitoring studies of PFASs. In addition, some cohort studies (on mother-child exposure, occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium) were initiated, and literature researches on risk assessment of mixtures of PFAS, health effects and effect biomarkers were performed. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies have generated internal exposure reference levels for 12 PFASs in 1957 European teenagers aged 12-18 years. The results showed that serum levels of 14.3% of the teenagers exceeded 6.9 μg/L PFASs, which corresponds to the EFSA guideline value for a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 4.4 ng/kg for some of the investigated PFASs (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS). In Northern and Western Europe, 24% of teenagers exceeded this level. The most relevant sources of exposure identified were drinking water and some foods (fish, eggs, offal and locally produced foods). HBM4EU occupational studies also revealed very high levels of PFASs exposure in workers (P95: 192 μg/L in chrome plating facilities), highlighting the importance of monitoring PFASs exposure in specific workplaces. In addition, environmental contaminated hotspots causing high exposure to the population were identified. In conclusion, the frequent and high PFASs exposure evidenced by HBM4EU strongly suggests the need to take all possible measures to prevent further contamination of the European population, in addition to adopting remediation measures in hotspot areas, to protect human health and the environment. HBM4EU findings also support the restriction of the whole group of PFASs. Further, research and definition for additional toxicological dose-effect relationship values for more PFASs compounds is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Uhl
- Environment Agency Austria, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Wieneke Bil
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Tony Fletcher
- UK Health Security Agency, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, England, UK
| | | | - Ron Hoogenboom
- Wageningen Food Safety Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Xenia Trier
- European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Tiina Santonen
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
| | | | | | - Katleen De Brouwere
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
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17
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Zhang L, Louie A, Rigutto G, Guo H, Zhao Y, Ahn S, Dahlberg S, Sholinbeck M, Smith MT. A systematic evidence map of chronic inflammation and immunosuppression related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 220:115188. [PMID: 36592815 PMCID: PMC10044447 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to induce chronic inflammation and immunosuppression are two key characteristics of carcinogens and important forms of immunotoxicity. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) evaluated the immunotoxicity of two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), in 2016. However, the potential pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects of other PFASs remain largely uncharacterized. METHODS We developed an expanded set of search terms pertaining to the chronic inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects of PFASs based on those of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and NTP. To confirm searching effectiveness and scope, we compared our search term results with those of IARC and NTP for both PFASs and two other known carcinogens, chromium (VI) and benzene. Systematic evidence maps (SEMs) were also produced using Tableau to visualize the distribution of study numbers and types reporting immunotoxic effects and specific biomarkers elicited by PFAS exposures. RESULTS In total, 1155 PFAS studies were retrieved, of which 321 qualified for inclusion in our dataset. Using our search terms, we identified a greater number of relevant studies than those obtained using IARC and NTP's search terms. From the SEM findings, increased cytokine production strengthened an association between PFAS exposure and chronic inflammation, and decreased B-cell activation and altered levels of T-cell subtypes and immunoglobulins confirmed PFAS-induced immunosuppression. CONCLUSION Our SEM findings confirm that several PFASs commonly found in both in the environment, including those that are lesser-known, may induce immunosuppression and chronic inflammation, two key characteristics of carcinogens. This approach, including development of search terms, study screening process, data coding, and evidence mapping visualizations, can be applied to other key characteristics of chemical carcinogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luoping Zhang
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Allen Louie
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA; Molecular Toxicology Interdepartmental Program, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Gabrielle Rigutto
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Helen Guo
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Yun Zhao
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Stacy Ahn
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sarah Dahlberg
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Michael Sholinbeck
- Bioscience, Natural Resources & Public Health Library, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Martyn T Smith
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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18
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Ehrlich V, Bil W, Vandebriel R, Granum B, Luijten M, Lindeman B, Grandjean P, Kaiser AM, Hauzenberger I, Hartmann C, Gundacker C, Uhl M. Consideration of pathways for immunotoxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Environ Health 2023; 22:19. [PMID: 36814257 PMCID: PMC9944481 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00958-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of public health concern, because of their ubiquitous and extremely persistent occurrence, and depending on their structure, their bio-accumulative, mobile and toxic properties. Human health effects associated with exposure to PFAS include adverse effects on the immune system. In 2020, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) defined adverse effects on the immune system as the most critical effect for human health risk assessment, based on reduced antibody responses to childhood vaccines and similar effects observed in experimental animal studies. Likewise, the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) considers PFAS-induced immunotoxicity, especially in children, as the critical effect for risk assessment. However, the mechanisms by which antibody concentrations are impacted are not completely understood. Furthermore, other targets of the immune system functions have been reported in the literature. OBJECTIVE The aim of this review is to explore PFAS-associated immune-related effects. This includes, relevant mechanisms that may underlie the observed effects on the immune system, immunosuppression as well as immunoenhancement, such as i) modulation of cell signalling and nuclear receptors, such as NF-κB and PPARs; ii) alteration of calcium signalling and homoeostasis in immune cells; iii) modulation of immune cell populations; iv) oxidative stress and v) impact on fatty acid metabolism & secondary effects on the immune system. METHODS A literature research was conducted using three databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus), which were searched in July 2021 for relevant studies published in the time frame from 2018 to 2021. In total, 487 publications were identified as potentially eligible and following expert-based judgement, articles relevant for mechanisms of PFAS induced immunotoxicity are discussed. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, we show that there is substantial evidence from both in vitro and in vivo experimental as well as epidemiological studies, supporting that various PFAS, not only PFOA and PFOS, affect multiple aspects of the immune system. Timing of exposure is critical, because the developing immune system is especially vulnerable to toxic insults, resulting in a higher risk of particularly adverse immune effects but also other organs later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Ehrlich
- Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt GmbH), Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wieneke Bil
- Centre for Safety of Substances and Products, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Vandebriel
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Berit Granum
- Division of Climate and Environment Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mirjam Luijten
- Centre for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Birgitte Lindeman
- Division of Climate and Environment Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Andreas-Marius Kaiser
- Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt GmbH), Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ingrid Hauzenberger
- Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt GmbH), Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christina Hartmann
- Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt GmbH), Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Gundacker
- Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Uhl
- Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt GmbH), Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Felder C, Trompeter L, Skutlarek D, Färber H, Mutters NT, Heinemann C. Exposure of a single wild boar population in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) to perfluoroalkyl acids. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:15575-15584. [PMID: 36169825 PMCID: PMC9908673 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23086-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) are among the leading chemical pollutants in the twenty-first century. Of these, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been widely detected in a large number of animal and environmental samples. Wild boars accumulate PFAA in their livers, but it has not yet been clarified to what extent wild boars of the same population accumulate different PFAA in their livers or whether any conclusions can be drawn from any differences found in regard to environmental contamination. In this study, liver samples from wild boars killed during driven hunts in 2019 and 2020 from a defined forest area in North Rhine-Westfalia, Germany were analyzed for 13 different PFAA. A mean load of 493 µg/kg (± 168 µg/kg) PFAA was measured in 2020. Perfluorosulfonic acids accounted for 87% of the total load in both years, with PFOS dominating this group. These results were similar to those of 14 liver samples collected from other regions of Germany for comparison. In addition, the livers of hunted pregnant sows and fetuses were examined. The load of short-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (< C8) in the fetus liver was as high as that of the sows, whereas the concentrations of long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (≥ C8) were lower than in the dams. This result shows for the first time that fetuses take up PFAA from their mothers in utero. Our study shows that PFAA content in wild boar livers is comparably high in all animals in a local population and indicates a need for further research regarding a nationwide background exposure to PFAA in wild boars and their surrounding environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Felder
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Building 63, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lukas Trompeter
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Building 63, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Skutlarek
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Building 63, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Harald Färber
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Building 63, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Nico Tom Mutters
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Building 63, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Céline Heinemann
- Institute of Animal Science, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 7-9, 53115, Bonn, Germany
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20
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Laue HE, Moroishi Y, Palys TJ, Christensen BC, Criswell RL, Peterson LA, Huset CA, Baker ER, Karagas MR, Madan JC, Romano ME. Early-life exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and infant gut microbial composition. Environ Epidemiol 2023; 7:e238. [PMID: 36777525 PMCID: PMC9916123 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human milk is rich in essential nutrients and immune-activating compounds but is also a source of toxicants including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Evidence suggests that immune-related effects of PFAS may, in part, be due to alterations of the microbiome. We aimed to identify the association between milk PFAS exposure and the infant gut microbiome. Methods PFAS [perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA)] were quantified in milk from ~6 weeks postpartum using high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. A molar sum (ΣPFAS) was calculated. Caregivers collected infant stool samples at 6 weeks (n = 116) and/or 1 year postpartum (n = 119). Stool DNA underwent metagenomic sequencing. We estimated the association of PFAS with diversity and relative abundances of species with linear regression. Single- and multi-PFAS models adjusted for potential confounders in complete case analyses and with imputed missing covariate data for 6-week and 1-year microbiomes separately. We assessed sensitive populations with stratification. Results PFOS and PFOA were detected in 94% and 83% of milk samples, respectively. PFOS was associated with increased diversity at 6 weeks among infants fed exclusively human milk [β = 0.24 per PFOS doubling, (95% CI = 0.03, 0.45), P = 0.03] and born to primiparous mothers [β = 0.37 (0.06, 0.67), P = 0.02]. Estimates were strongest in multi-PFAS models and among complete cases. ΣPFAS was associated with Bacteroides vulgatus relative abundance at 1 year [(β = -2.34% per doubling (-3.63, -1.05), FDR q = 0.099]. Conclusions PFAS may increase infant gut microbiome diversity and alter the relative abundance of biologically relevant bacteria. Additional analyses may identify related health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E. Laue
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | - Yuka Moroishi
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | - Thomas J. Palys
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | - Brock C. Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | | | - Lisa A. Peterson
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | | | - Emily R. Baker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | - Juliette C. Madan
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | - Megan E. Romano
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
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21
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Fábelová L, Beneito A, Casas M, Colles A, Dalsager L, Den Hond E, Dereumeaux C, Ferguson K, Gilles L, Govarts E, Irizar A, Lopez Espinosa MJ, Montazeri P, Morrens B, Patayová H, Rausová K, Richterová D, Rodriguez Martin L, Santa-Marina L, Schettgen T, Schoeters G, Haug LS, Uhl M, Villanger GD, Vrijheid M, Zaros C, Palkovičová Murínová Ľ. PFAS levels and exposure determinants in sensitive population groups. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 313:137530. [PMID: 36509187 PMCID: PMC9846180 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants. The first exposure to PFAS occurs in utero, after birth it continues via breast milk, food intake, environment, and consumer products that contain these chemicals. Our aim was to identify determinants of PFAS concentrations in sensitive population subgroups- pregnant women and newborns. METHODS Nine European birth cohorts provided exposure data on PFAS in pregnant women (INMA-Gipuzkoa, Sabadell, Valencia, ELFE and MoBa; total N = 5897) or newborns (3xG study, FLEHS 2, FLEHS 3 and PRENATAL; total N = 940). PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS and PFNA concentrations were measured in maternal or cord blood, depending on the cohort (FLEHS 2 measured only PFOS and PFOA). PFAS concentrations were analysed according to maternal characteristics (age, BMI, parity, previous breastfeeding, smoking, and food consumption during pregnancy) and parental educational level. The association between potential determinants and PFAS concentrations was evaluated using multiple linear regression models. RESULTS We observed significant variations in PFAS concentrations among cohorts. Higher PFAS concentrations were associated with higher maternal age, primipara birth, and educational level, both for maternal blood and cord blood. Higher PFAS concentrations in maternal blood were associated with higher consumption of fish and seafood, meat, offal and eggs. In cord blood, higher PFHxS concentrations were associated with daily meat consumption and higher PFNA with offal consumption. Daily milk and dairy consumption were associated with lower concentrations of PFAS in both, pregnant women and newborns. CONCLUSION High detection rates of the four most abundant PFAS demonstrate ubiquitous exposure of sensitive populations, which is of concern. This study identified several determinants of PFAS exposure in pregnant women and newborns, including dietary factors, and these findings can be used for proposing measures to reduce PFAS exposure, particularly from dietary sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Fábelová
- Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - A Beneito
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Casas
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - A Colles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - L Dalsager
- Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - E Den Hond
- Provincial Institute of Hygiene (PIH), Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - K Ferguson
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), North Carolina, USA
| | - L Gilles
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - E Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - A Irizar
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain; Biodonostia, Epidemiology and Public Health Area, Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - M J Lopez Espinosa
- Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain; Faculty of Nursing and Chiropody, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - B Morrens
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - H Patayová
- Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - K Rausová
- Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - D Richterová
- Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - L Rodriguez Martin
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - L Santa-Marina
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain; Biodonostia, Epidemiology and Public Health Area, Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Public Health Division of Gipuzkoa, Basque Government, 20013 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - T Schettgen
- Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - G Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - L S Haug
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo, Norway
| | - M Uhl
- Umweltbundesamt, Vienna, Austria
| | - G D Villanger
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo, Norway
| | - M Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - C Zaros
- Institut national d'études démographiques (INED), Aubervilliers, France
| | - Ľ Palkovičová Murínová
- Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Environmental Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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22
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Li J, Wang L, Zhang X, Liu P, Deji Z, Xing Y, Zhou Y, Lin X, Huang Z. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure and its influence on the intestinal barrier: An overview on the advances. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:158362. [PMID: 36055502 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of artificially synthetic organic compounds that are hardly degraded in the natural environment. PFAS have been widely used for many decades, and the persistence and potential toxicity of PFAS are an emerging concern in the world. PFAS exposed via diet can be readily absorbed by the intestine and enter the circulatory system or accumulate directly at intestinal sites, which could interact with the intestine and cause the destruction of intestinal barrier. This review summarizes current relationships between PFAS exposure and intestinal barrier damage with a focus on more recent toxicological studies. Exposure to PFAS could cause inflammation in the gut, destruction of the gut epithelium and tight junction structure, reduction of the mucus layer, and induction of the toxicity of immune cells. PFAS accumulation could also induce microbial disorders and metabolic products changes. In addition, there are limited studies currently, and most available studies converge on the health risk of PFAS exposure for human intestinal disease. Therefore, more efforts are deserved to further understand potential associations between PFAS exposure and intestinal dysfunction and enable better assessment of exposomic toxicology and health risks for humans in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoyang Li
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Agriculture, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, PR China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Zhuoma Deji
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Yudong Xing
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Xia Lin
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Zhenzhen Huang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China.
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Sly PD, Trottier B, Ikeda-Araki A, Vilcins D. Environmental Impacts on Infectious Disease: A Literature View of Epidemiological Evidence. Ann Glob Health 2022; 88:91. [PMID: 36348708 PMCID: PMC9585978 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.3670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This article summarises a session from the recent Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health Focus meeting on Environmental Impacts on Infectious Disease. Objective To provide an overview of the literature underpinning the presentations from this session. Methods References used in developing the presentations were obtained from the presenters. Additional references were obtained from PubMed using key words from the presentations. Findings and Conclusions The Hokkaido longitudinal children's study has found that exposure to chemicals in early life, such as persistent organic pollutants and per/polyfluorinated compounds, is associated with a range of immunological outcomes such as decreased cord blood IgE, otitis media, wheeze, increased risk of infections and higher risk of food allergy.Epidemiological evidence links exposure to poor air quality to increased severity and mortality of Covid-19 in many parts of the world. Most studies suggest that long-term exposure has a more marked effect than acute exposure.Components of air pollution, such as a newly described combustion product known as environmentally persistent free radicals, induce oxidative stress in exposed individuals. Individuals with genetic variations predisposing them to oxidative stress are at increased risk of adverse health effects from poor air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D. Sly
- Children’s Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Brittany Trottier
- Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, USA
| | - Atsuko Ikeda-Araki
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, JP; Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Japan
| | - Dwan Vilcins
- Children’s Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia
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Li J, Yang L, He G, Wang B, Miao M, Ji H, Wen S, Cao W, Yuan W, Liang H. Association between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and anogenital distance in female neonates. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 245:114130. [PMID: 36182800 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been reported to exert reproductive toxicity. Anogenital distance (AGD) is a biomarker of intrauterine androgen exposure and an indicator of genital development. An animal study reported that female neonatal rats exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) during postnatal days 1-5 exhibited a longer AGD, while epidemiological studies have shown inconsistent results. This study aimed to examine the effects of prenatal exposure to PFASs on the AGD in female neonates. METHODS PFAS levels were measured in plasma samples obtained from pregnant women at 12-16 gestational weeks using high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The AGD of each female neonate was measured within 3 days after delivery. The anogenital index (AGI), calculated as AGD divided by weight, was also determined. A total of 362 motherinfant pairs were included in this study. A multivariate linear regression model was used to examine the association between prenatal ln-transformed concentrations of PFASs and AGD/AGI. In addition, weighted quantile sum regression (WQSR) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were used to assess the overall effects of a mixture of PFASs on the AGD/AGI and to identify important contributors to the overall effect. RESULTS There was a consistent pattern of association between maternal PFAS concentrations and increased AGDanus to posterior fourchette (AF), AGDanus to clitoris (AC), and AGIAF lengths at birth. Statistical significance was found between maternal ln-transformed concentrations of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorododecanoic acid, and perfluorotridecanoic acid and AGDAF, with β values (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 0.83 (0.16, 1.51), 0.32 (0.05, 0.59), and 0.25 (0.00, 0.51) mm, respectively; between PFOS and AGDAC, with a β value (95% CI) of 0.63 (0.04, 1.21) mm; and between PFHxS and AGIAF, with a β value (95% CI) of 0.22 (0.02, 0.43) mm/kg. Similarly, the WQSR and BKMR models showed that an increase in the AGDAF/AGIAF at birth was associated with co-exposure to a mixture of PFASs. CONCLUSION High maternal concentrations of PFASs were associated with increased AGD in female neonates, indicating that PFASs may impair reproductive development in female offspring in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincan Li
- National Health Commission Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Limei Yang
- The First People's Hospital of Jiashan, Jiaxing Zhejiang Province 314199, China
| | - Gengsheng He
- School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Binbin Wang
- Center for Genetics, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Maohua Miao
- National Health Commission Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Honglei Ji
- National Health Commission Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Sheng Wen
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Toxicology, National Reference Laboratory of Dioxin, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Wencheng Cao
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Toxicology, National Reference Laboratory of Dioxin, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- National Health Commission Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Hong Liang
- National Health Commission Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200237, China.
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Jensen RC, Glintborg D, Timmermann CAG, Nielsen F, Boye H, Madsen JB, Bilenberg N, Grandjean P, Jensen TK, Andersen MS. Higher free thyroxine associated with PFAS exposure in first trimester. The Odense Child Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113492. [PMID: 35597289 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine disrupting chemicals with elimination half-lives ranging from four to eight years. Experimental studies found PFAS able to interfere with thyroid hormone-binding proteins. During the first 20 weeks of gestation (GW), the fetus is reliant on placental transfer of maternal thyroid hormones, mainly free thyroxine (FT4). However, previous studies investigating associations between exposure to PFAS and thyroid hormone status mainly focused on blood samples from late pregnancy or umbilical cord with mixed findings. OBJECTIVES To investigate associations between serum-PFAS concentrations and thyroid hormone status in early pregnancy as reflected by FT4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). METHODS In the Odense Child Cohort, a single-center study, we measured maternal pregnancy serum concentrations of five PFAS: perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA); and FT4 and TSH in 1048 pregnant women at median GW 12 (25th, 75th percentile: 10, 15). Multivariate linear regression models were performed to estimate associations between PFAS exposure and thyroid hormone status. RESULTS A doubling in PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA concentrations was associated with an increment in FT4 concentration by 1.85% (95% CI: 0.66%, 3.05%), 1.29% (95% CI: 0.21%, 2.39%), and 1.70% (95% CI: 0.48%, 2.94%), respectively, in adjusted analyses. A statistically significant dose-response relationship was observed across exposure quartiles for PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA in the association with FT4. No association was found between concentrations of PFAS and TSH in adjusted analyses. CONCLUSION Exposure to PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA was associated with higher FT4 concentrations in women during early pregnancy. The potential clinical implications of these findings remain to be clarified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Christian Jensen
- Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Søndre Blvd. 29, 5000, Odense C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 17A, 5000, Odense C, Denmark.
| | - Dorte Glintborg
- Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Søndre Blvd. 29, 5000, Odense C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | - Clara Amalie Gade Timmermann
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 17A, 5000, Odense C, Denmark; National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Studiestræde 6, 1455, København K, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 17A, 5000, Odense C, Denmark
| | - Henriette Boye
- Odense Child Cohort, Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Kløvervænget 23C, 5000, Odense C, Denmark
| | - Jeppe Buur Madsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kabbeltoft 25, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, 7100, Vejle, Denmark
| | - Niels Bilenberg
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5000, Odense, Denmark; Odense Child Cohort, Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Kløvervænget 23C, 5000, Odense C, Denmark; Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, J. B. Winsløws Vej 16, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 17A, 5000, Odense C, Denmark; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 677 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 17A, 5000, Odense C, Denmark; Odense Child Cohort, Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Kløvervænget 23C, 5000, Odense C, Denmark; OPEN, University of Southern Denmark, J. B. Winsløws Vej 9a, 5000, Odense C, Denmark
| | - Marianne S Andersen
- Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Søndre Blvd. 29, 5000, Odense C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5000, Odense, Denmark
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Immunomodulation and exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: an overview of the current evidence from animal and human studies. Arch Toxicol 2022; 96:2261-2285. [PMID: 35695909 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-022-03303-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used and represent a class of environmental persistent chemicals. An association of a reduction of vaccination efficacy with PFAS serum levels in humans was used by the European Food Safety Authority as a key effect for PFAS risk assessment. The data support for using this association is reviewed by a critical analysis of the respective human epidemiology and the available animal studies on the immunomodulation of PFAS. Based on an analysis of the available human epidemiology, the overall level of evidence regarding associations between PFAS serum levels and reduced antibody response remains weak. Absence of an association between an increase in clinical infections and PFAS serum levels and the limited understanding of the importance of antibody levels as an isolated data point further support this conclusion. Animal toxicity studies with PFAS focusing on immunomodulation also provide only limited support for immunomodulation as an important endpoint in PFAS toxicity. While immunomodulation is observed after PFAS administration, generally at blood concentrations several orders of magnitude above those seen in environmentally exposed humans, the relevance of these observation is hampered by the high doses required to influence immune endpoints, the limited number of endpoints assessed, and inconsistent results. The limitations of the current database on associations of human PFAS exposures outlined here indicate that more evidence is required to select immunomodulation as a critical endpoint for human PFAS risk assessment.
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Zhang Y, Mustieles V, Sun Y, Oulhote Y, Wang YX, Messerlian C. Association between serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances concentrations and common cold among children and adolescents in the United States. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 164:107239. [PMID: 35447424 PMCID: PMC10250187 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exert immunosuppressive effects in experimental animals. Few epidemiologic studies investigated PFAS exposure and immune-related clinical outcomes such as common cold, especially during childhood when the immune system is developing. METHODS This study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and included 517 children 3-11 years (2013-2014 cycle) and 2732 adolescents 12-19 years (2003-2016 cycles). Serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) were quantified. Common cold was self-reported by the participant or parent as having a head cold or chest cold in the last month. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to examine the covariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) between individual PFAS concentrations and common cold incidence in the past month. The joint effect of PFAS mixtures was evaluated using Probit Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR). RESULTS A doubling of serum PFHxS concentration was associated with a 31% higher odds (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.62) of common cold among children. Serum PFNA (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.98) and PFOA (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 0.67, 2.62) concentrations were also related to common cold among children, as were serum PFOS concentrations among adolescents (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.32). ORs were higher in male than female children and adolescents. BKMR showed a clear increasing trend of common cold estimates across quantiles of the total PFAS mixture concentration among children, while no obvious pattern emerged in adolescents. DISCUSSION Among children in the United States, serum concentrations of PFAS mixtures, especially PFHxS and PFNA, were associated with higher odds of common cold. Among adolescents, PFOS was associated with increased common cold in the last month. This study contributes to the existing evidence supporting the immunotoxicity of PFAS in childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Vicente Mustieles
- University of Granada, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria Ibs GRANADA, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Yi-Xin Wang
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carmen Messerlian
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston, MA, USA
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Pappalardo F, Russo G, Corsini E, Paini A, Worth A. Translatability and transferability of in silico models: Context of use switching to predict the effects of environmental chemicals on the immune system. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:1764-1777. [PMID: 35495116 PMCID: PMC9035946 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotoxicity hazard identification of chemicals aims to evaluate the potential for unintended effects of chemical exposure on the immune system. Perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are persistent, globally disseminated environmental contaminants known to be immunotoxic. Elevated PFAS exposure is associated with lower antibody responses to vaccinations in children and in adults. In addition, some studies have reported a correlation between PFAS levels in the body and lower resistance to disease, in other words an increased risk of infections or cancers. In this context, modelling and simulation platforms could be used to simulate the human immune system with the aim to evaluate the adverse effects that immunotoxicants may have. Here, we show the conditions under which a mathematical model developed for one purpose and application (e.g., in the pharmaceutical domain) can be successfully translated and transferred to another (e.g., in the chemicals domain) without undergoing significant adaptation. In particular, we demonstrate that the Universal Immune System Simulator was able to simulate the effects of PFAS on the immune system, introducing entities and new interactions that are biologically involved in the phenomenon. This also revealed a potentially exploitable pathway for assessing immunotoxicity through a computational model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pappalardo
- Department of Health and Drug Sciences, Università degli Studi di Catania, Italy
| | - Giulia Russo
- Department of Health and Drug Sciences, Università degli Studi di Catania, Italy
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Alicia Paini
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | - Andrew Worth
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
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Wang Z, Shi R, Ding G, Yao Q, Pan C, Gao Y, Tian Y. Association between maternal serum concentration of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) at delivery and acute infectious diseases in infancy. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 289:133235. [PMID: 34896425 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent and bio-accumulative compounds that have been recognized as important immune hazards by animal studies. However, epidemiological studies regarding the impact on infant infections were inconsistent. OBJECTIVES We investigated the associations between prenatal exposure to PFASs and acute infectious diseases including common cold, bronchitis/pneumonia, and diarrhea in early childhood. METHODS Participating 235 mother-infant pairs were recruited from the Laizhou Wan (Bay) birth cohort (LWBC), a prospective study in Shandong, China between September 2010 and 2013. Ten selected PFASs congeners including PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFDA, PFUA, PFDoA, PFHxS, PFBS, PFHpA, and PFOSA were measured from maternal serum by HPLC-MS/MS. Detailed information on parent-reported frequency of acute infectious diseases was collected from questionnaires at 1-year follow-up, which was confirmed by the medical records. Logistic and Poisson regression models were used on binary health outcomes (yes/no) and the number of episodes of outcomes, which were reported as odds ratio (OR) and incidence rate-ratio (IRR), respectively. RESULTS The risk of diarrhea increased by 4.99 (95% CI = 1.86, 13.39) per log-unit increase in PFOA. The frequencies of diarrhea increased by 97%-116% for each 10-fold increase in PFOA, PFNA, and PFDA. Moreover, when stratified by exclusively breastfeeding duration (at least 4 months or not), the adverse effects of PFASs exposures on diarrhea were more pronounced among the breastfed infants. There were no associations between prenatal PFASs exposure and common cold or bronchitis/pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to PFASs was associated with increased risks of diarrhea during the first year of life, and these effects were stronger among the breastfed infants. Due to the small sample size, our results should be interpreted with caution and additional studies on larger populations are needed to confirm our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixia Wang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Shi
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guodong Ding
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1400 West Beijing Road, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Qian Yao
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengyu Pan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ying Tian
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Timmermann CAG, Pedersen HS, Weihe P, Bjerregaard P, Nielsen F, Heilmann C, Grandjean P. Concentrations of tetanus and diphtheria antibodies in vaccinated Greenlandic children aged 7-12 years exposed to marine pollutants, a cross sectional study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 203:111712. [PMID: 34343554 PMCID: PMC11061314 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown immunotoxic effects of environmental chemicals, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently identified a need for more studies on PFAS immunotoxicity in different populations. In the Arctic, populations are exposed to several environmental chemicals through marine diet, and the objective of this study was therefore to examine the association between Greenlandic children's exposure to major environmental chemicals and their concentrations of diphtheria and tetanus vaccine antibodies after vaccination. The study includes cross-sectional data from Greenlandic children aged 7-12 years examined during 2012-2015. A total of 338 children were eligible for the study, and 175 of these had available vaccination records. A parent or guardian participated in a structured interview, and a blood sample from the child was analyzed for specific antibodies against diphtheria and tetanus as well as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and total mercury. Furthermore, for a subgroup, blood samples from pregnancy were available and analyzed for environmental contaminants. The associations between the environmental exposures and antibody concentrations and odds of having antibody concentrations below the protective level were examined in linear and logistic regression models. In crude analyses, elevated concentrations of some of the contaminants were associated with higher concentrations of diphtheria and tetanus antibodies, but the associations were reversed when adjusting for area of residence, and duration of being breastfed and including children with a known vaccination date only. Each 1 ng/mL increase in serum concentrations of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was associated with decreases of 78 % (95 % CI: 25-94 %) and 9 % (95 % CI: 2-16 %), respectively, in diphtheria antibody concentrations. Exposure to PCBs and all PFASs was associated with markedly increased odds of having diphtheria antibody concentrations below the protective level. For each 1 ng/mL increase in serum concentrations of PFHxS, PFOS, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), odds of not having protective levels of diphtheria antibodies were increased 6.44 times (95 % CI: 1.51-27.36), 1.14 times (95 % CI: 1.04-1.26), 1.96 times (95 % CI: 1.07-3.60), and 5.08 times (95 % CI: 1.32-19.51, respectively. No consistent associations were seen between maternal contaminant concentrations and vaccine antibody concentrations. In conclusion, we found that increased exposure to environmental chemicals among children in this Arctic population were associated with a decrease in post-vaccination antibody concentrations and with increased odds of not being protected against diphtheria despite appropriate vaccination. These findings emphasize the risk of environmental chemical exposures also in this Arctic population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Amalie Gade Timmermann
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Henning Sloth Pedersen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Greenland Centre for Health Research, University of Greenland, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Pál Weihe
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands; Center of Health Science, University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Peter Bjerregaard
- National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Carsten Heilmann
- Pediatric Clinic, Rigshospitalet - National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Shen M, Xiao Y, Huang Y, Jing D, Su J, Luo D, Duan Y, Xiao S, Li J, Chen X. Perfluoroalkyl substances are linked to incident chronic spontaneous urticaria: A nested case-control study. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 287:132358. [PMID: 34583294 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies suggested immunotoxicity of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), but contradictory findings were reported for the associations of PFASs with allergies. The current study aimed to investigate the association of serum PFASs with incident chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) in adults. A nested case-control study within a longitudinal cohort of 7051 government employees in China was conducted. Participants with urticaria at the baseline were excluded. During the first follow-up, 70 incident CSU cases were included, and 70 matched healthy controls were randomly selected. In serum samples collected at the baseline, eight PFASs were determined using the UHPLC-MS/MS approach. The median serum concentrations of perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) were significantly higher in participants with incident CSU. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.714 (95% CI: 0.60-0.83) based on the joint prediction by PFBA and PFHpA. The Bayesian kernel machine regression showed a nonlinear positive overall effect of the mixture of PFASs, and identified significant single effects of PFBA and PFHpA. Serum interleukin-4 was significantly higher in the case group at baseline, and was positively associated with PFHpA (r = 0.24). Causal mediation analysis indicated interleukin-4 as a partial mediator (14.8%) in the association of PFHpA with CSU. In conclusion, serum PFASs are associated with an increased risk of incident CSU, and PFBA and PFHpA might be the effective compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minxue Shen
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yuzhou Huang
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Danrong Jing
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Juan Su
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yanying Duan
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shuiyuan Xiao
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Wu Q, Coumoul X, Grandjean P, Barouki R, Audouze K. Endocrine disrupting chemicals and COVID-19 relationships: A computational systems biology approach. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 157:106232. [PMID: 33223326 PMCID: PMC7831776 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients at high risk of severe forms of COVID-19 frequently suffer from chronic diseases, but other risk factors may also play a role. Environmental stressors, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), can contribute to certain chronic diseases and might aggravate the course of COVID-19. OBJECTIVES To explore putative links between EDCs and COVID-19 severity, an integrative systems biology approach was constructed and applied. METHODS As a first step, relevant data sets were compiled from major data sources. Biological associations of major EDCs to proteins were extracted from the CompTox database. Associations between proteins and diseases known as important COVID-19 comorbidities were obtained from the GeneCards and DisGeNET databases. Based on these data, we developed a tripartite network (EDCs-proteins-diseases) and used it to identify proteins overlapping between the EDCs and the diseases. Signaling pathways for common proteins were then investigated by over-representation analysis. RESULTS We found several statistically significant pathways that may be dysregulated by EDCs and that may also be involved in COVID-19 severity. The Th17 and the AGE/RAGE signaling pathways were particularly promising. CONCLUSIONS Pathways were identified as possible targets of EDCs and as contributors to COVID-19 severity, thereby highlighting possible links between exposure to environmental chemicals and disease development. This study also documents the application of computational systems biology methods as a relevant approach to increase the understanding of molecular mechanisms linking EDCs and human diseases, thereby contributing to toxicology prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qier Wu
- Université de Paris, T3S, Inserm UMR S-1124, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Xavier Coumoul
- Université de Paris, T3S, Inserm UMR S-1124, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA; University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | - Robert Barouki
- Université de Paris, T3S, Inserm UMR S-1124, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Karine Audouze
- Université de Paris, T3S, Inserm UMR S-1124, F-75006 Paris, France.
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Shih YH, Blomberg AJ, Bind MA, Holm D, Nielsen F, Heilmann C, Weihe P, Grandjean P. Serum vaccine antibody concentrations in adults exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A birth cohort in the Faroe Islands. J Immunotoxicol 2021; 18:85-92. [PMID: 34143710 DOI: 10.1080/1547691x.2021.1922957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are highly persistent in the environment and may cause depressed immune function. Previous studies have linked PFAS exposure to lower vaccine responses in children, but research in adults is limited. Therefore, the present study evaluated the associations between exposure to PFASs and serum antibody concentrations in adults vaccinated at age 28 years in the Faroe Islands. PFAS concentrations were determined from cord-blood collected at birth and serum samples collected at ages 7, 14, 22, and 28 years. Serum antibody concentrations against hepatitis type A and B, diphtheria, and tetanus were analyzed from blood samples collected about 6 mo after the first vaccine inoculation at age 28 years. Linear regression models were used to estimate changes in antibody concentration for each doubling of PFAS concentration. Potential effect modification by sex was assessed by including an interaction term between PFAS and sex. Although the 95% confidence intervals contain the null value, inverse trends were observed between serum perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) at ages 14 and 28 years and hepatitis type A antibody (anti-HAV) concentrations, as revealed by an estimated decrease of 0.71 (95% CI: -1.52, 0.09) and 0.24 (95% CI: -0.59, 0.10) signal-to-cutoff ratio for each doubling of exposure, respectively. Inverse trends were also observed between serum PFOA at ages 22 and 28 years and hepatitis type B antibody (anti-HBs) concentration, with an estimated decrease of 21% (95% CI: -42.20%, 7.34%) and of 17% (95% CI: -35.47%, 7.35%) in anti-HBs for each doubling of exposure, respectively. Sex-specific associations with anti-HAV were observed for cord-blood PFASs and serum PFAS concentrations at ages 7 and 14 years. No inverse associations of PFAS exposure were found with diphtheria and tetanus antibody concentrations. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and further investigate the effects of PFASs on adult immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsuan Shih
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Annelise J Blomberg
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marie-Abèle Bind
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dorte Holm
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Carsten Heilmann
- Pediatric Clinic, National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pál Weihe
- Centre of Health Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, Torshavn, Faroe Islands.,Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, The Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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von Holst H, Nayak P, Dembek Z, Buehler S, Echeverria D, Fallacara D, John L. Perfluoroalkyl substances exposure and immunity, allergic response, infection, and asthma in children: review of epidemiologic studies. Heliyon 2021; 7:e08160. [PMID: 34712855 PMCID: PMC8529509 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Increased exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) potentially affects infant and childhood health through immunosuppression. Given rapidly evolving research on PFAS, it is important to comprehensively examine the impact of PFAS exposure among the pediatric population as new research becomes available due to potential fragility of the developing immune system. Objectives This review assessed the effects of PFAS fetal, infant and childhood exposures upon the development of immune function during early life stages. Methods Researchers completed a literature review, searching PubMed for human studies published since 2010 for PFAS and health outcomes among infants and children. Included articles incorporated key search terms in the title or abstract; non-research reports and non-English papers were excluded. The search identified 518 studies for possible inclusion. Following hands-on review, 34 were determined relevant. Subsequent analyses found 8 additional relevant articles, totaling 42 studies. Results Major immune-related sequelae from PFAS exposures on infant and child health outcomes documented in recent literature include: • Strong indication of immunosuppression, with diminished childhood antibody response to vaccination, particularly with PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS exposures. • Some indication of increased risks of childhood infectious diseases/infections, particularly from PFOS exposures. • Limited indication of an effect of PFAS exposure on allergic reactions/allergen specific IgE antibodies. • Limited indication of an effect of PFAS exposure on atopic dermatitis (AD). • Limited indication of an effect of PFAS exposure on asthma and lung function. Conclusion This review summarizes recent findings of PFAS effects on infant and childhood immune health. Evidence of immunosuppression, diminished vaccine efficacy, and increased risk of infections, allergies, asthma and AD were described following in utero, infant, and early childhood PFAS exposures. Further investigation is warranted to characterize PFAS exposure pathways and potential modes of action in relation to PFAS effects on the developing immune system. Incontrovertible proof of PFAS immunotoxic effects could optimally be obtained by a large prospective study cohort of mothers and children from infancy through school-age. Regular assessments of circulating antibodies and response to infant and childhood vaccines during growth years could prove invaluable. This review summarizes findings of PFAS effects on infant and child immune health. In utero, infant, and early childhood PFAS exposures were examined. Strong evidence of PFAS exposure on diminished childhood antibody vaccination response. Moderate evidence of PFAS exposure on increased risk of childhood infectious diseases. Limited evidence of PFAS exposure on allergic reactions, atopic dermatitis, asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley von Holst
- Battelle Memorial Institute, 505 King Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA
| | - Pratibha Nayak
- Battelle Memorial Institute, 505 King Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA
| | - Zygmunt Dembek
- Battelle Memorial Institute, 505 King Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA
| | | | - Diana Echeverria
- Battelle Memorial Institute, 505 King Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA
| | - Dawn Fallacara
- Battelle Memorial Institute, 505 King Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA
| | - Lisa John
- Battelle Memorial Institute, 505 King Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA
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Abraham K, Koletzko B, Mildenberger E, Rouw E, von Gartzen A, Ensenauer R. Per- und polyfluorierte Alkylsubstanzen (PFAS) und Stillen: Nutzen-Risiken-Abwägungen. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00112-021-01203-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Woodlief T, Vance S, Hu Q, DeWitt J. Immunotoxicity of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Insights into Short-Chain PFAS Exposure. TOXICS 2021; 9:100. [PMID: 34062743 PMCID: PMC8147192 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9050100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were recently identified in drinking water sources throughout North Carolina. These include the perfluoroether acids (PFEAs) perfluoro-2-methoxyacetic acid (PFMOAA), perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMOPrA), and perfluoro-4-methoxybutanioc acid (PFMOBA). Little toxicological data exist for these PFEAs. Therefore, the present study described signs of toxicity and immunotoxicity following oral exposure. Adult male and female C57BL/6 mice were exposed once/day for 30 days to PFMOAA (0, 0.00025, 0.025, or 2.5 mg/kg), PFMOPrA, or PFMOBA (0, 0.5, 5, or 50 mg/kg). A dose of 7.5 mg/kg of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was used as a positive control. Terminal body weights, and absolute liver, spleen, or thymus weights did not differ by dose for any compound; exposure to 50 mg/kg of PFMOBA increased relative liver weights in males. Changes in splenic cellularity were observed in males exposed to PFMOPrA and decreased numbers of B and natural killer (NK) cells were observed in males and females exposed to PFMOBA. Exposure did not alter NK cell cytotoxicity or T cell-dependent antibody responses at doses administered. Our results indicate that these "understudied" PFAS have toxicological potential but require additional investigation across endpoints and species, including humans, to understand health effects via drinking water exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey Woodlief
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; (S.V.); (Q.H.); (J.D.)
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Dalsager L, Christensen N, Halekoh U, Timmermann CAG, Nielsen F, Kyhl HB, Husby S, Grandjean P, Jensen TK, Andersen HR. Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances during fetal life and hospitalization for infectious disease in childhood: A study among 1,503 children from the Odense Child Cohort. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 149:106395. [PMID: 33508532 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The immunosuppressive properties of PFASs are widely recognized. Early-life exposure to PFAS has been linked to reduced immune response to childhood vaccinations and increased rates of common infectious diseases, but implications for hospitalizations are unclear. OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between maternal serum concentrations of five PFASs during pregnancy and the child's rate of hospitalization due to common infectious diseases between birth and 4 years of age. METHODS Serum samples from first trimester pregnant women from the Odense Child Cohort (OCC) collected in 2010-2012 were analyzed for concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and three other PFASs. Data on child hospitalizations with an ICD-10 code for infectious disease was obtained from the Danish National Patient Register. The following were identified: upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), gastrointestinal infections (GI), and other infections. The Andersen-Gill Cox proportional hazard model for recurrent events was used to investigate the association between PFAS exposure and hospitalizations. The resulting estimates were hazard ratios (HRs), which express the relative change in the instantaneous risk of hospitalization with a doubling in maternal PFAS concentration. RESULTS A total of 1,503 mother-child pairs were included, and 26% of the children were hospitalized at least once for infectious disease. A doubling in maternal PFOS concentration was associated with a 23% increase in the risk of hospitalization due to any infection (HR: 1.23 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.44). There was indication of an interaction between child sex and PFOS (p = 0.07) and PFDA (p = 0.06), although in opposite directions. Further, every doubling of PFOA or PFOS increased the risk of LRTI by 27% (HR: 1.27 (1.01, 1.59)) and 54% (HR: 1.54 (1.11, 2.15)), respectively. Similar tendencies were seen for URTI and the group of other infections. For GIs, the opposite pattern of association was seen as HR's were consistently below 1 (PFOA, HR: 0.55 (0.32, 0.95)). DISCUSSION We found an association between PFOS and the overall risk of infectious disease, and between PFOS and PFOA exposures and the risk of LRTI's. These results are in agreement with previous findings from the OCC, in which maternal PFOS and PFOA concentrations were positively associated with the number of days that the children experienced fever, thereby suggesting that PFOS and PFOA may affect the prevalence of both mild and more severe infectious diseases even in a rather low-exposed population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Dalsager
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Nikolas Christensen
- Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ulrich Halekoh
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Clara Amalie Gade Timmermann
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Steffen Husby
- Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Odense Patient data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense, Denmark
| | - Helle Raun Andersen
- Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Investigating Molecular Mechanisms of Immunotoxicity and the Utility of ToxCast for Immunotoxicity Screening of Chemicals Added to Food. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18073332. [PMID: 33804855 PMCID: PMC8036665 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of high-throughput screening methodologies may decrease the need for laboratory animals for toxicity testing. Here, we investigate the potential of assessing immunotoxicity with high-throughput screening data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ToxCast program. As case studies, we analyzed the most common chemicals added to food as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) shown to migrate to food from packaging materials or processing equipment. The antioxidant preservative tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) showed activity both in ToxCast assays and in classical immunological assays, suggesting that it may affect the immune response in people. From the PFAS group, we identified eight substances that can migrate from food contact materials and have ToxCast data. In epidemiological and toxicological studies, PFAS suppress the immune system and decrease the response to vaccination. However, most PFAS show weak or no activity in immune-related ToxCast assays. This lack of concordance between toxicological and high-throughput data for common PFAS indicates the current limitations of in vitro screening for analyzing immunotoxicity. High-throughput in vitro assays show promise for providing mechanistic data relevant for immune risk assessment. In contrast, the lack of immune-specific activity in the existing high-throughput assays cannot validate the safety of a chemical for the immune system.
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Groffen T, Rijnders J, van Doorn L, Jorissen C, De Borger SM, Luttikhuis DO, de Deyn L, Covaci A, Bervoets L. Preliminary study on the distribution of metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including perfluoroalkylated acids (PFAS), in the aquatic environment near Morogoro, Tanzania, and the potential health risks for humans. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 192:110299. [PMID: 33058811 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including perfluoroalkylated acids (PFAS), are chemicals with a bioaccumulative potential that are detected in wildlife around the world. Although multiple studies reported the pollution of the aquatic environment with these chemicals, only limited data is present on the environmental pollution of Tanzania's aquatic environment and the possible risks for human health through consumption of contaminated fish or invertebrates. In the present study, we examined the distribution of metals and POPs in fish, invertebrates, sediment and water, collected at two different years at multiple important water reservoirs for domestic and industrial purposes, in the aquatic environment near Morogoro, Tanzania. Furthermore, we assessed the possible risks for human health through consumption of contaminated fish and shrimp. Metal concentrations in the water, sediment, invertebrates and fish appeared to increase in sites downstream from Morogoro city, likely caused by the presence of the city as pollution source. Significant differences in accumulated concentrations of metals and POPs were observed between species, which was hypothesized to be caused by dietary differences. Concentrations of multiple metals exceeded water and sediment quality guidelines values. Only Cu (2.8-17 μg/L) and Zn (<LOQ - 151 μg/L) in water exceeded chronic and acute effect values. Furthermore, PFOS, PBDE and HCB concentrations exceeded biota quality standard values, suggesting an ecological risk caused by these metals and POPs in the aquatic environment around Morogoro. Our results suggest that potential health effects through consumption of contaminated shrimp, and to minor extent fish, are expected. The daily consumption of these proteins (0.016-0.027 kg/capita/day) in Tanzania is similar or higher than the tolerable maximum consumption of shrimp for Cu (<0.02 kg/capita/day), Co (<0.02 kg/capita/day) and PFOS (<0.01 kg/capita/day). The outcome of this study could be used in future studies on metals and POPs in African aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thimo Groffen
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicology Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Jet Rijnders
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicology Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Loïc van Doorn
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicology Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Cas Jorissen
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicology Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Seppe Mortier De Borger
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicology Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Dorien Oude Luttikhuis
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicology Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Lara de Deyn
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicology Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicolological Center (TC), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Lieven Bervoets
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicology Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Yang Y, Meng K, Chen M, Xie S, Chen D. Fluorotelomer Alcohols' Toxicology Correlates with Oxidative Stress and Metabolism. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2021; 256:71-101. [PMID: 33866421 DOI: 10.1007/398_2020_57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) are widely used as industrial raw materials due to their unique hydrophobic and oleophobic properties. However, because of accidental exposure to products containing FTOHs or with the widespread use of FTOHs, they tend to contaminate the water and the soil. There are reports demonstrating that FTOHs can cause various harmful effects in animals and humans (for example, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, immunotoxicity, endocrine-disrupting activity, and developmental and reproductive toxicities). Oxidative stress is related to a variety of toxic effects induced by FTOHs. To date, few reviews have addressed the relationship between the toxicity of FTOHs and oxidative stress. This article summarises research demonstrating that the toxicity induced by FTOHs correlates with oxidative stress and metabolism. Furthermore, during the metabolic process of FTOHs, a number of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450) are involved and many metabolites are produced by these enzymes, which can induce oxidative stress. This is also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujuan Yang
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Kuiyu Meng
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Min Chen
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shuyu Xie
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dongmei Chen
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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Severity of COVID-19 at elevated exposure to perfluorinated alkylates. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244815. [PMID: 33382826 PMCID: PMC7774856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seems to be aggravated by air pollution, and some industrial chemicals, such as the perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs), are immunotoxic and may contribute to an association with disease severity. Methods From Danish biobanks, we obtained plasma samples from 323 subjects aged 30–70 years with known SARS-CoV-2 infection. The PFAS concentrations measured at the background exposures included five PFASs known to be immunotoxic. Register data was obtained to classify disease status, other health information, and demographic variables. We used ordered logistic regression analyses to determine associations between PFAS concentrations and disease outcome. Results Plasma-PFAS concentrations were higher in males, in subjects with Western European background, and tended to increase with age, but were not associated with the presence of chronic disease. Of the study population, 108 (33%) had not been hospitalized, and of those hospitalized, 53 (16%) had been in intensive care or were deceased. Among the five PFASs considered, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) showed an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.19 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.39–3.46) for increasing severities of the disease. Among those hospitalized, the fully adjusted OR for getting into intensive care or expiring was 5.18 (1.29, 20.72) when based on plasma samples obtained at the time of diagnosis or up to one week before. Conclusions Measures of individual exposures to immunotoxic PFASs included short-chain PFBA known to accumulate in the lungs. Elevated plasma-PFBA concentrations were associated with an increased risk of a more severe course of COVID-19. Given the low background exposure levels in this study, the role of exposure to PFASs in COVID-19 needs to be ascertained in populations with elevated exposures.
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Buoso E, Masi M, Racchi M, Corsini E. Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals' (EDCs) Effects on Tumour Microenvironment and Cancer Progression: Emerging Contribution of RACK1. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9229. [PMID: 33287384 PMCID: PMC7729595 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) can display estrogenic and androgenic effects, and their exposure has been linked to increased cancer risk. EDCs have been shown to directly affect cancer cell regulation and progression, but their influence on tumour microenvironment is still not completely elucidated. In this context, the signalling hub protein RACK1 (Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1) could represent a nexus between cancer and the immune system due to its roles in cancer progression and innate immune activation. Since RACK1 is a relevant EDCs target that responds to steroid-active compounds, it could be considered a molecular bridge between the endocrine-regulated tumour microenvironment and the innate immune system. We provide an analysis of immunomodulatory and cancer-promoting effects of different EDCs in shaping tumour microenvironment, with a final focus on the scaffold protein RACK1 as a pivotal molecular player due to its dual role in immune and cancer contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Buoso
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Mirco Masi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (M.R.)
- Classe di Scienze Umane e della Vita (SUV), Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy;
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Huang H, Yu K, Zeng X, Chen Q, Liu Q, Zhao Y, Zhang J, Zhang X, Huang L. Association between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and respiratory tract infections in preschool children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 191:110156. [PMID: 32871147 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is considered to affect adversely the immune function. However, the effect of prenatal PFAS exposure on respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children is unclear. Thus, we evaluated whether cord blood PFAS levels were associated with RTI in the first 5 years of life. METHODS The Shanghai Prenatal Cohort is an on-going birth cohort, which included all the mothers during pregnancy. Children were followed by paediatricians once a year after birth. The levels of 10 PFAS in cord blood were tested using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RTIs were diagnosed based on face-to-face interviews with the parents and review of medical records. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, as biomarkers of humoral immunity, were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at age 5 years. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were applied to study the association between prenatal PFAS exposure and RTIs. RESULTS A total of 743 children completed the follow-up, 344 of them had detail information of cord blood PFAS, IgG, and IgE concentrations. Eight PFAS were detected in more than 90% of the cord blood samples, except for perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA). During the 5-year follow-up period, the frequency of RTIs increased with age, reaching a peak at age 4. Moreover, 20.6% of the children were diagnosed with recurrent RTIs. Children with recurrent RTIs had higher prenatal perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) concentration. Higher prenatal PFBS concentration was positively associated with total RTI frequency (β = 6.05, 95% CI [0.84, 11.26]) in first 5 years of life and negatively associated with IgG level (β = -0.82, 95% CI [-1.67, -0.01]) at age 5. CONCLUSIONS Children with higher prenatal PFBS were more vulnerable to RTIs in early life, which may be attributed to immunosuppression of IgG production. These findings need to be further verified in larger prospective studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyu Huang
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kan Yu
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinxin Zeng
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Chen
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Quanhua Liu
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Disease, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanjun Zhao
- Department of Developmental Behavior Pediatrics & Child Primary Care, Children's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Clinical Research Unit, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Lisu Huang
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Caron-Beaudoin É, Ayotte P, Blanchette C, Muckle G, Avard E, Ricard S, Lemire M. Perfluoroalkyl acids in pregnant women from Nunavik (Quebec, Canada): Trends in exposure and associations with country foods consumption. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 145:106169. [PMID: 33041046 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are persistent and ubiquitous environmental contaminants that potentially disrupt endocrine system functions. While some PFAAs (perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)) are regulated, currently used fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) can be transported to the Arctic and are degraded in a number of PFAAs which biomagnify in Arctic wildlife (e.g. perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA)). OBJECTIVES From 2004 to 2017, 279 pregnant Inuit women were recruited as part of biomonitoring projects in Nunavik. Our goal was to evaluate: (i) time-trends in plasma/serum PFAAs levels in pregnant Nunavimmiut women between 2004 and 2017; (ii) compare plasma/serum PFAAs levels in Nunavimmiut women in 2016-2017 to those measured in women of childbearing age in the Canadian Health Measure Survey (CHMS); and (iii) evaluate the associations of PFAAs levels with the consumption of country foods and pregnancy and maternal characteristics during pregnancy in the 97 participants recruited in 2016-2017. METHODS Individual blood sample were collected for serum or plasma PFAAs (PFOS, PFOA, pentafluorobenzoic acid (PFBA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluorohexane-1-sulfonic acid (PFHxS), PFNA, PFDA, PFUdA) analyses. Socio-demographic data, pregnancy and maternal characteristics and country foods consumption were documented using a questionnaire. Omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were measured in red blood cell membranes and their ratio used as a biomarker of marine country foods consumption. Time-trends in PFAAs levels were evaluated using ANCOVA models adjusted for relevant co-variables. Serum/plasma levels of PFAAs in the 97 pregnant women aged 16 to 40 years old and recruited in 2016-2017 were compared to those measured in women aged 18 to 40 years old from the CHMS cycle 5 (2016-2017) using the geometric means (GM) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Multivariate regression analyses were performed to examine associations between concentrations of PFAAs and country foods consumption data. RESULTS Statistically-significant downward time trends were noted for concentrations of PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS in pregnant Nunavik women between 2004 and 2017. Conversely, between 2011 and 2016-2017, PFNA, PFDA and PFUdA maternal serum levels increased by 19, 13 and 21% respectively. Among participants in 2016-2017, mean concentrations for PFNA (GM: 2.4 μg/L), PFDA (0.53 μg/L) and PFUdA (0.61 μg/L) were higher than those measured in women aged 18-40 years old in the Cycle 5 (2016-2017) of the CHMS. PFOA (0.53 μg/L) and PFHxS (0.26 μg/L) were lower than in CHMS, whereas PFBA, PFHxA and PFBS were not detected in 2016-2017. Ratios of serum/plasma levels of PFNA/PFOA, PFNA/PFOS, PFNA/PFHxS and PFUdA/PFDA were significantly higher in the 97 pregnant women from Nunavik recruited in 2016-2017 compared to CHMS, highlighting their distinct exposure profile. In multivariate models, PFHxS, PFOS, PFNA, PFDA and PFUdA levels in 2016-2017 were strongly associated with the omega-3/omega-6 PUFA ratio, indicating a positive association between marine country foods consumption and higher exposure to PFAAs. CONCLUSIONS The exposure of pregnant women to long-chain PFAAs (PFNA, PFDA and PFUdA) increased from 2004 to 2017 in Nunavik. Associations noted between PFAAs levels and the omega-3/omega-6 ratio highlights the importance of implementing additional strict regulations on PFAAs and their precursors to protect the high nutritional quality and cultural importance of country foods in Nunavik.
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Affiliation(s)
- Élyse Caron-Beaudoin
- Department of Health and Society and Department of Environmental and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, VCH Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Centre de toxicologie du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Caty Blanchette
- Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Ellen Avard
- Nunavik Research Centre, Makivik Corporation, Kuujjuaq, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvie Ricard
- Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, Kuujjuaq, QC, Canada
| | - Mélanie Lemire
- Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
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Starling AP, Liu C, Shen G, Yang IV, Kechris K, Borengasser SJ, Boyle KE, Zhang W, Smith HA, Calafat AM, Hamman RF, Adgate JL, Dabelea D. Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Umbilical Cord Blood DNA Methylation, and Cardio-Metabolic Indicators in Newborns: The Healthy Start Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:127014. [PMID: 33356526 PMCID: PMC7759236 DOI: 10.1289/ehp6888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent chemicals widely detected in women of reproductive age. Prenatal PFAS exposure is associated with adverse health outcomes in children. We hypothesized that DNA methylation changes may result from prenatal PFAS exposure and may be linked to offspring cardio-metabolic phenotype. OBJECTIVES We estimated associations of prenatal PFAS with DNA methylation in umbilical cord blood. We evaluated associations of methylation at selected sites with neonatal cardio-metabolic indicators. METHODS Among 583 mother-infant pairs in a prospective cohort, five PFAS were quantified in maternal serum (median 27 wk of gestation). Umbilical cord blood DNA methylation was evaluated using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 array. Differentially methylated positions (DMPs) were evaluated at a false discovery rate ( FDR ) < 0.05 and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified using comb-p (Šidák-adjusted p < 0.05 ). We estimated associations between methylation at candidate DMPs and DMR sites and the following outcomes: newborn weight, adiposity, and cord blood glucose, insulin, lipids, and leptin. RESULTS Maternal serum PFAS concentrations were below the median for females in the U.S. general population. Moderate to high pairwise correlations were observed between PFAS concentrations (ρ = 0.28 - 0.76 ). Methylation at one DMP (cg18587484), annotated to the gene TJAP1, was associated with perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) at FDR < 0.05 . Comb-p detected between 4 and 15 DMRs for each PFAS. Associated genes, some common across multiple PFAS, were implicated in growth (RPTOR), lipid homeostasis (PON1, PON3, CIDEB, NR1H2), inflammation and immune activity (RASL11B, RNF39), among other functions. There was suggestive evidence that two PFAS-associated loci (cg09093485, cg09637273) were associated with cord blood triglycerides and birth weight, respectively (FDR < 0.1 ). DISCUSSION DNA methylation in umbilical cord blood was associated with maternal serum PFAS concentrations during pregnancy, suggesting potential associations with offspring growth, metabolism, and immune function. Future research should explore whether DNA methylation changes mediate associations between prenatal PFAS exposures and child health outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6888.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne P. Starling
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Cuining Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Guannan Shen
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Ivana V. Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Center for Genes, Environment and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Katerina Kechris
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Sarah J. Borengasser
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kristen E. Boyle
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Weiming Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Harry A. Smith
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Antonia M. Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Richard F. Hamman
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - John L. Adgate
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Grandjean P, Timmermann CAG, Kruse M, Nielsen F, Vinholt PJ, Boding L, Heilmann C, Mølbak K. Severity of COVID-19 at elevated exposure to perfluorinated alkylates. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2020:2020.10.22.20217562. [PMID: 33140071 PMCID: PMC7605584 DOI: 10.1101/2020.10.22.20217562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background The course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seems to be aggravated by air pollution, and some industrial chemicals, such as the perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs), are immunotoxic and may contribute as well. Methods From Danish biobanks, we obtained plasma samples from 323 subjects aged 30-70 years with known SARS-CoV-2 infection. The PFAS concentrations measured at the background exposures included five PFASs known to be immunotoxic. Register data was obtained to classify disease status, other health information, and demographic variables. We used ordinal and ordered logistic regression analyses to determine associations between PFAS concentrations and disease outcome. Results Plasma-PFAS concentrations were higher in males, in subjects with Western European background, and tended to increase with age, but were not associated with the presence of chronic disease. Of the study population, 108 (33%) had not been hospitalized, and of those hospitalized, 53 (16%) had been in intensive care or were deceased. Among the five PFASs considered, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) showed an odds ratio (OR) of 2.19 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.39-3.46) for increasing severities of the disease, although the OR decreased to 1.77 (95% CI, 1.09, 2.87) after adjustment for age, sex, sampling site and interval between blood sampling and diagnosis. Conclusions Measures of individual exposures to immunotoxic PFASs included PFBA that accumulates in the lungs. Elevated plasma-PFBA concentrations were associated with an increased risk of more severe course of CIVID-19. Given the low background exposure levels in this study, the role of PFAS exposure in COVID-19 needs to be ascertained in populations with elevated exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Grandjean
- The Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
- the Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - C A G Timmermann
- the Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - M Kruse
- the Department of Health Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - F Nielsen
- the Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - P Just Vinholt
- the Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - L Boding
- the Department of Epidemiology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - C Heilmann
- Pediatric Clinic, Rigshospitalet - National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K Mølbak
- the Department of Epidemiology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
- the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
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Ssebugere P, Sillanpää M, Matovu H, Wang Z, Schramm KW, Omwoma S, Wanasolo W, Ngeno EC, Odongo S. Environmental levels and human body burdens of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in Africa: A critical review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 739:139913. [PMID: 32540660 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are known organic pollutants with adverse health effects on humans and the ecosystem. This paper synthesises literature about the status of the pollutants and their precursors, identifies knowledge gaps and discusses future perspectives on the study of PFASs in Africa. Limited data on PFASs prevalence in Africa is available because there is limited capacity to monitor PFASs in African laboratories. The levels of PFASs in Africa are higher in samples from urban and industrialized areas compared to rural areas. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the dominant PFASs in human samples from Africa. Levels of PFOS and PFOA in these samples are lower than or comparable to those from industrialized countries. PFOA and PFOS levels in drinking water in Africa are, in some cases, higher than the EPA drinking water guidelines suggesting potential risk to humans. The levels of PFASs in birds' eggs from South Africa are higher, while those in other environmental media from Africa are lower or comparable to those from industrialized countries. Diet influences the pollutant levels in fish, while size and sex affect their accumulation in crocodiles. No bioaccumulation of PFASs in aquatic systems in Africa could be confirmed due to small sample sizes. Reported sources of PFASs in Africa include municipal landfills, inefficient wastewater treatment plants, consumer products containing PFASs, industrial wastewater and urban runoff. Relevant stakeholders need to take serious action to identify and deal with the salient sources of PFASs on the African continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Ssebugere
- Department of Chemistry, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Viet Nam; School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, West Street, Toowoomba, 4350, QLD, Australia
| | - Henry Matovu
- Department of Chemistry, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda; Department of Chemistry, Gulu University, P. O. Box 166, Gulu, Uganda
| | - Zhanyun Wang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Karl-Werner Schramm
- Helmholtz Zentrum Müenchen, German National Research Centre for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics (MEX), Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg, Munich, Germany
| | - Solomon Omwoma
- Department of Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 210-40601, Bondo, Kenya
| | - William Wanasolo
- Department of Chemistry, Kyambogo University, P.O. Box 1, Kyambogo, Uganda
| | | | - Silver Odongo
- Department of Chemistry, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
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Liu J, Liu S, Huang Z, Fu Y, Fei J, Liu X, He Z. Associations between the serum levels of PFOS/PFOA and IgG N-glycosylation in adult or children. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 265:114285. [PMID: 32806420 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanoic sulfonate (PFOS) have been shown to be associated with disease development. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycosylation plays a vital role in human immune system and inflammatory activities. Altered IgG glycosylation was one of the molecular markers of various disorders. However, whether the chemicals affect IgG glycosylation has not been investigated. METHODS Serum samples of 190 individuals including 95 adults and 95 children were selected based on the sex, age and PFOA/PFOS concentration. IgG N-glycome profile was obtained from glycan release, derivatization, and MALDI-MS analysis. One-factor ANOVA test was performed to analyze the association between different levels of PFOS/PFOA and IgG glycosylation changes. Evaluation of the diagnostic performance of significantly changed IgG glycosylation was performed by receiver operating characteristic curve. PFOS/PFOA concentrations were studied in relation to IgG glycosylation by 3D-nonlinear regression analysis. RESULTS 10 of the 28 individual IgG glycans were significantly altered between different levels of PFOS/PFOA in adult serum. Among children with high serum levels of PFOS or PFOA, a total of 12 IgG N-glycans were markedly different from those with lower serum PFOS/PFOA. The glycan derived traits for adults with higher serum PFOS or PFOA were marked by significant alterations in IgG digalactosylation, agalactosylation, fucosylation, fucosylated sialylation, and disialylation. Similarly, pronounced changes in agalactosylation, digalactosylation, mono-sialylation and total sialylation, as well as neutral and sialo bisection, were associated with elevated serum PFOS or PFOA in children. Several glycans gained moderately accurate scores of area under the curve for diagnosis of PFOS or PFOA pollution. Nonlinear surface fitting showed the independent or coordinate effect of PFOS or PFOA on the expression of IgG glycosylation. CONCLUSIONS High levels of PFOS or PFOA in human serum were strongly associated with altered IgG glycosylation and therefore are a potential risk factor for the development of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junling Liu
- Wuhan Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhan, 430015, China
| | - Si Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zhiwen Huang
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yang Fu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jian Fei
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xin Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Zhenyu He
- Wuhan Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhan, 430015, China.
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Ait Bamai Y, Goudarzi H, Araki A, Okada E, Kashino I, Miyashita C, Kishi R. Effect of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on childhood allergies and common infectious diseases in children up to age 7 years: The Hokkaido study on environment and children's health. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 143:105979. [PMID: 32717646 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used bio-accumulative chemicals in many industrial and household products. Experimental studies reported that exposure to PFAS results in immunotoxicity. We have previously reported that prenatal exposure to PFAS decreased the risk of allergies, while it increased the risk of infectious diseases at ages 2 and 4 years. However, it remains unclear whether the adverse effects of PFAS on allergies and infectious diseases continue until a reliable age of diagnosing allergies. This study aimed at investigating the effects of prenatal exposure to PFAS on the prevalence of allergies and infectious diseases in children up to age 7, from the Hokkaido Study. Among mother-child pairs enrolled in the Hokkaido study and followed up until the age of 7 years, 2689 participants with maternal PFAS, 1st trimester of pregnancy and 7-year-old questionnaire survey data were included in this study. Eleven PFAS in the 3rd-trimester plasma were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Wheeze, rhino-conjunctivitis, and eczema were defined using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies on Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. History childhood infectious diseases diagnosed by a doctor was assessed by a mother-reported questionnaire at child's age 7. The relative risk of childhood allergies was calculated by generalized estimating equation models. The odds ratio of an episode of infectious diseases was calculated by logistic regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders. The prevalence of various allergies and infectious diseases was: wheeze, 11.9%; rhino-conjunctivitis, 11.3%; eczema, 21.0%; chickenpox, 61.5%; otitis media, 55.7%; pneumonia, 30.6%; and respiratory syncytial virus infection, 16.8%. Prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) was inversely associated with rhino-conjunctivitis, while that for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate, PFUnDA, perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA), and perfluorotridecanoic acid was inversely associated with eczema. For infectious diseases, PFDA and PFDoDA were associated with increased risk of pneumonia and PFOA was associated with increased risk of RSV infection among children not having any siblings (only-one-child). Our results corroborate the hypothesis on immunosuppressive and immunomodulating effects of PFAS on allergies and infectious diseases in children. These effects observed previously at 2 and 4 years continued until the age of 7 years. However, additional studies assessing inflammatory biomarkers along with ISAAC questionnaires, doctor-diagnosed allergies, and longer follow-ups are necessary to better assess the effects of exposure to chemicals on human immune outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ait Bamai
- Hokkaido University, Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Sapporo, Japan.
| | - Houman Goudarzi
- Hokkaido University, Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Sapporo, Japan; Hokkaido University Center for Medical Education and International Relations, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Atsuko Araki
- Hokkaido University, Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Emiko Okada
- Hokkaido University, Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Sapporo, Japan; National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ikuko Kashino
- Hokkaido University, Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Chihiro Miyashita
- Hokkaido University, Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Hokkaido University, Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Sapporo, Japan.
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50
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Schrenk D, Bignami M, Bodin L, Chipman JK, del Mazo J, Grasl‐Kraupp B, Hogstrand C, Hoogenboom L(R, Leblanc J, Nebbia CS, Nielsen E, Ntzani E, Petersen A, Sand S, Vleminckx C, Wallace H, Barregård L, Ceccatelli S, Cravedi J, Halldorsson TI, Haug LS, Johansson N, Knutsen HK, Rose M, Roudot A, Van Loveren H, Vollmer G, Mackay K, Riolo F, Schwerdtle T. Risk to human health related to the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances in food. EFSA J 2020; 18:e06223. [PMID: 32994824 PMCID: PMC7507523 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The European Commission asked EFSA for a scientific evaluation on the risks to human health related to the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in food. Based on several similar effects in animals, toxicokinetics and observed concentrations in human blood, the CONTAM Panel decided to perform the assessment for the sum of four PFASs: PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS and PFOS. These made up half of the lower bound (LB) exposure to those PFASs with available occurrence data, the remaining contribution being primarily from PFASs with short half-lives. Equal potencies were assumed for the four PFASs included in the assessment. The mean LB exposure in adolescents and adult age groups ranged from 3 to 22, the 95th percentile from 9 to 70 ng/kg body weight (bw) per week. Toddlers and 'other children' showed a twofold higher exposure. Upper bound exposure was 4- to 49-fold higher than LB levels, but the latter were considered more reliable. 'Fish meat', 'Fruit and fruit products' and 'Eggs and egg products' contributed most to the exposure. Based on available studies in animals and humans, effects on the immune system were considered the most critical for the risk assessment. From a human study, a lowest BMDL 10 of 17.5 ng/mL for the sum of the four PFASs in serum was identified for 1-year-old children. Using PBPK modelling, this serum level of 17.5 ng/mL in children was estimated to correspond to long-term maternal exposure of 0.63 ng/kg bw per day. Since accumulation over time is important, a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 4.4 ng/kg bw per week was established. This TWI also protects against other potential adverse effects observed in humans. Based on the estimated LB exposure, but also reported serum levels, the CONTAM Panel concluded that parts of the European population exceed this TWI, which is of concern.
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