1
|
Phelps DW, Connors AM, Ferrero G, DeWitt JC, Yoder JA. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances alter innate immune function: evidence and data gaps. J Immunotoxicol 2024; 21:2343362. [PMID: 38712868 PMCID: PMC11249028 DOI: 10.1080/1547691x.2024.2343362] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large class of compounds used in a variety of processes and consumer products. Their unique chemical properties make them ubiquitous and persistent environmental contaminants while also making them economically viable and socially convenient. To date, several reviews have been published to synthesize information regarding the immunotoxic effects of PFASs on the adaptive immune system. However, these reviews often do not include data on the impact of these compounds on innate immunity. Here, current literature is reviewed to identify and incorporate data regarding the effects of PFASs on innate immunity in humans, experimental models, and wildlife. Known mechanisms by which PFASs modulate innate immune function are also reviewed, including disruption of cell signaling, metabolism, and tissue-level effects. For PFASs where innate immune data are available, results are equivocal, raising additional questions about common mechanisms or pathways of toxicity, but highlighting that the innate immune system within several species can be perturbed by exposure to PFASs. Recommendations are provided for future research to inform hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk management practices for PFASs to protect the immune systems of exposed organisms as well as environmental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Drake W. Phelps
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Ashley M. Connors
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Toxicology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Giuliano Ferrero
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, 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 Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
| | - Jeffrey A. Yoder
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Toxicology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tursi AR, Lindeman B, Kristoffersen AB, Hjertholm H, Bronder E, Andreassen M, Husøy T, Dirven H, Andorf S, Nygaard UC. Immune cell profiles associated with human exposure to perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) suggest changes in natural killer, T helper, and T cytotoxic cell subpopulations. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 256:119221. [PMID: 38795951 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119221] [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: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) constitutes a group of highly persistent man-made substances. Recent evidence indicates that PFAS negatively impact the immune system. However, it remains unclear how different PFAS are associated with alterations in circulating leukocyte subpopulations. More detailed knowledge of such potential associations can provide better understanding into mechanisms of PFAS immunotoxicity in humans. In this exploratory study, associations of serum levels of common PFAS (perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)) and immune cell profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, both with and without immunostimulation, were investigated. High-dimensional single cell analysis by mass cytometry was done on blood leukocytes from fifty participants in the Norwegian human biomonitoring EuroMix study. Different PFAS were associated with changes in various subpopulations of natural killer (NK), T helper (Th), and cytotoxic T (Tc) cells. Broadly, PFAS concentrations were related to increased frequencies of NK cells and activated subpopulations of NK cells. Additionally, increased levels of activated T helper memory cell subpopulations point to Th2/Th17 and Treg-like skewed profiles. Finally, PFAS concentrations were associated with decreased frequencies of T cytotoxic cell subpopulations with CXCR3+ effector memory (EM) phenotypes. Several of these observations point to biologically plausible mechanisms that may contribute to explaining the epidemiological reports of immunosuppression by PFAS. Our results suggest that PFAS exposures even at relatively low levels are associated with changes in immune cell subpopulations, a finding which should be explored more thoroughly in a larger cohort. Additionally, causal relationships should be confirmed in experimental studies. Overall, this study demonstrates the strength of profiling by mass cytometry in revealing detailed changes in immune cells at a single cell level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R Tursi
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Trine Husøy
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Sandra Andorf
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Huang SN, Hu YH, Xu TT, Luan YL, Zeng LX, Zhang ZF, Guo Y. Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in lung cancer patients and their associations with clinical health indicators. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 350:123995. [PMID: 38636840 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123995] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have potential carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity. Research has been conducted on PFAS exposure in people to discuss their potential health effects, excluding lung cancer. In this study, we recruited participants (n = 282) with lung cancer from Heilongjiang Province, northeast China. The PFAS concentrations were measured in their serum to fill the data gap of exposure, and relationships were explored in levels between PFASs and clinical indicators of tumor, immune and liver function. Ten PFASs were found in over 80 % of samples and their total concentrations were 5.27-152 ng/mL, with the highest level for perfluorooctanesulfonate (median: 12.4 ng/mL). Long-chain PFASs were the main congeners and their median concentration (20.5 ng/mL) was nearly three times to that of short-chain PFASs (7.61 ng/mL). Significantly higher concentrations of perfluorobutanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid and perfluorohexanesulfonate were found in males than in females (p < 0.05). Serum levels of neuro-specific enolase were positively associated with perfluoropentanoic acid in all participants and were negatively associated with perfluorononanesulfonate in females (p < 0.05, multiple linear regression models). Exposure to PFAS mixture was significantly positively associated with the lymphocytic absolute value (difference: 0.224, 95% CI: 0.018, 0.470; p < 0.05, quantile g-computation models) and serum total bilirubin (difference: 2.177, 95% CI: 0.0335, 4.33; p < 0.05). Moreover, PFAS exposure can affect γ-glutamyl transpeptidase through several immune markers (p < 0.05, mediating test). Our results suggest that exposure to certain PFASs could interfere with clinical indicators in lung cancer patients. To our knowledge, this is the first study to detect serum PFAS occurrence and check their associations with clinical indicators in lung cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Si-Nan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Ying-Hua Hu
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances, Heilongjiang Institute of Labor Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, The Second Hospital of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 100028, China
| | - Ting-Ting Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Yu-Ling Luan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Li-Xi Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Zi-Feng Zhang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Ying Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 511436, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Porter AK, Kleinschmidt SE, Andres KL, Reusch CN, Krisko RM, Taiwo OA, Olsen GW, Longnecker MP. Occurrence of COVID-19 and serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A case-control study among workers with a wide range of exposures. GLOBAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024; 7:100137. [PMID: 38293561 PMCID: PMC10826147 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloepi.2024.100137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of synthetic chemicals; some are present in most humans in developed countries. Some studies suggest that certain PFAS may have immunotoxic effects in humans, which could put individuals with high levels of exposure at increased risk for infectious diseases such as COVID-19. We conducted a case-control study to examine the association between COVID-19 diagnosis and PFAS serum concentrations among employees and retirees from two 3 M facilities, one of which historically generated perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS). Participants completed enrollment and follow-up study visits in the Spring of 2021. Participants were categorized as cases if they reported a COVID-19 diagnosis or became sick with at least one symptom of COVID-19 when someone else in their household was diagnosed, otherwise they were categorized as a control. COVID-19 diagnosis was modeled in relation to concentration of serum PFAS measured at enrollment after adjusting for covariates. The analytic sample comprised 573 individuals, 111 cases (19.4%) and 462 controls (80.6%). In adjusted models, the odds ratio of COVID-19 was 0.94 per interquartile range (14.3 ng/mL) increase in PFOS (95% confidence interval 0.85, 1.04). Results for PFOA, PFHxS, and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were similar. Other PFAS present at lower concentrations were examined as categorical variables (above the limit of quantification [LOQ], yes vs. no [referent category]), and also showed no positive associations. In our study, which used individual-level data and included people with high occupational exposure, the serum concentrations of all PFAS examined were not associated with an increased odds ratio for COVID-19. At this point, the epidemiologic data supporting no association of COVID-19 occurrence with PFAS exposure are stronger than those suggesting a positive association.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. Porter
- Ramboll U.S. Consulting, 3214 Charles B. Root Wynd, Suite 130, Raleigh, NC 27612, United States of America
| | - Sarah E. Kleinschmidt
- 3M Company, Corporate Occupational Medicine, St. Paul, MN 55144, United States of America
| | - Kara L. Andres
- 3M Company, Corporate Occupational Medicine, St. Paul, MN 55144, United States of America
| | - Courtney N. Reusch
- 3M Company, Corporate Occupational Medicine, St. Paul, MN 55144, United States of America
| | - Ryan M. Krisko
- 3M Company, Environment, Health, Safety and Product Stewardship, St. Paul, MN 55144, United States of America
| | - Oyebode A. Taiwo
- 3M Company, Corporate Occupational Medicine, St. Paul, MN 55144, United States of America
| | - Geary W. Olsen
- 3M Company, Corporate Occupational Medicine, St. Paul, MN 55144, United States of America
| | - Matthew P. Longnecker
- Ramboll U.S. Consulting, 3214 Charles B. Root Wynd, Suite 130, Raleigh, NC 27612, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hu L, Mei H, Cai X, Xiang F, Li N, Huang Z, Duan Z, Yang P, Xiao H. A co-twin control study of in utero exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances and associations with neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 239:117350. [PMID: 37821063 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117350] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Research quantifying associations between early-life exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and neonatal thyroid hormone levels is limited and reports inconsistent results. This study aimed to examine the associations of in utero PFAS exposure with neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and to verify whether genetic and familial factors contribute to these associations. Within Wuhan Twin Birth Cohort study, we included 148 mother-twin pairs recruited between March 2016 and January 2018. Maternal plasma PFAS concentrations were measured at three different trimesters and averaged. Additionally, we measured cord plasma PFAS concentrations for twin newborns and retrieved their TSH levels from the medical system. Multivariable linear regression, generalized estimation equation, and linear mixed models were used to examine the covariate-adjusted associations. For maternal PFAS analyses, a 2-fold increment of average maternal perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) concentrations was linked with a 15% (95% CI: 2.5%, 28%) and 14% (95% CI: 2.4%, 28%) increase in neonatal TSH, respectively. For twin newborns discordant for PFAS exposure, a 2-fold increment of cord plasma PFOA, PFDA, perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA), and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) concentrations was related to a 7.1% (95% CI: 0.31%, 14%), 12% (95% CI: 4.8%, 20%), 7.5% (95% CI: 0.30%, 15%), and 8.5% (95% CI: 3.0%, 14%) increase in TSH among twins as individuals, respectively. Although these associations were mainly observed between twin pairs, certain PFAS exposure might have an independent association with increased TSH. Our present study suggests that higher maternal and cord plasma PFAS concentrations are associated with increased neonatal TSH, and genetic and familial factors contribute to these associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liqin Hu
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Hong Mei
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Xiaonan Cai
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Feiyan Xiang
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Na Li
- Maternal Health Care Department, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Zhen Huang
- Department of Pathology, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Zhengrong Duan
- Maternal Health Care Department, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Pan Yang
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, PR China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Han Xiao
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Efromson J, Ferrero G, Bègue A, Doman TJJ, Dugo C, Barker A, Saliu V, Reamey P, Kim K, Harfouche M, Yoder JA. Automated, high-throughput quantification of EGFP-expressing neutrophils in zebrafish by machine learning and a highly-parallelized microscope. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295711. [PMID: 38060605 PMCID: PMC10703246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Normal development of the immune system is essential for overall health and disease resistance. Bony fish, such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio), possess all the major immune cell lineages as mammals and can be employed to model human host response to immune challenge. Zebrafish neutrophils, for example, are present in the transparent larvae as early as 48 hours post fertilization and have been examined in numerous infection and immunotoxicology reports. One significant advantage of the zebrafish model is the ability to affordably generate high numbers of individual larvae that can be arrayed in multi-well plates for high throughput genetic and chemical exposure screens. However, traditional workflows for imaging individual larvae have been limited to low-throughput studies using traditional microscopes and manual analyses. Using a newly developed, parallelized microscope, the Multi-Camera Array Microscope (MCAM™), we have optimized a rapid, high-resolution algorithmic method to count fluorescently labeled cells in zebrafish larvae in vivo. Using transgenic zebrafish larvae, in which neutrophils express EGFP, we captured 18 gigapixels of images across a full 96-well plate, in 75 seconds, and processed the resulting datastream, counting individual fluorescent neutrophils in all individual larvae in 5 minutes. This automation is facilitated by a machine learning segmentation algorithm that defines the most in-focus view of each larva in each well after which pixel intensity thresholding and blob detection are employed to locate and count fluorescent cells. We validated this method by comparing algorithmic neutrophil counts to manual counts in larvae subjected to changes in neutrophil numbers, demonstrating the utility of this approach for high-throughput genetic and chemical screens where a change in neutrophil number is an endpoint metric. Using the MCAM™ we have been able to, within minutes, acquire both enough data to create an automated algorithm and execute a biological experiment with statistical significance. Finally, we present this open-source software package which allows the user to train and evaluate a custom machine learning segmentation model and use it to localize zebrafish and analyze cell counts within the segmented region of interest. This software can be modified as needed for studies involving other zebrafish cell lineages using different transgenic reporter lines and can also be adapted for studies using other amenable model species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Efromson
- Ramona Optics Inc., Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Giuliano Ferrero
- Department of Molecular Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Aurélien Bègue
- Ramona Optics Inc., Durham, NC, United States of America
| | | | - Clay Dugo
- Ramona Optics Inc., Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Andi Barker
- Department of Molecular Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Veton Saliu
- Ramona Optics Inc., Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Paul Reamey
- Ramona Optics Inc., Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Kanghyun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Mark Harfouche
- Ramona Optics Inc., Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey A. Yoder
- Department of Molecular Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Efromson J, Ferrero G, Bègue A, Doman TJJ, Dugo C, Barker A, Saliu V, Reamey P, Kim K, Harfouche M, Yoder JA. Automated, high-throughput quantification of EGFP-expressing neutrophils in zebrafish by machine learning and a highly-parallelized microscope. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.16.553550. [PMID: 37645798 PMCID: PMC10462042 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Normal development of the immune system is essential for overall health and disease resistance. Bony fish, such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio), possess all the major immune cell lineages as mammals and can be employed to model human host response to immune challenge. Zebrafish neutrophils, for example, are present in the transparent larvae as early as 48 hours post fertilization and have been examined in numerous infection and immunotoxicology reports. One significant advantage of the zebrafish model is the ability to affordably generate high numbers of individual larvae that can be arrayed in multi-well plates for high throughput genetic and chemical exposure screens. However, traditional workflows for imaging individual larvae have been limited to low-throughput studies using traditional microscopes and manual analyses. Using a newly developed, parallelized microscope, the Multi-Camera Array Microscope (MCAM™), we have optimized a rapid, high-resolution algorithmic method to count fluorescently labeled cells in zebrafish larvae in vivo. Using transgenic zebrafish larvae, in which neutrophils express EGFP, we captured 18 gigapixels of images across a full 96-well plate, in 75 seconds, and processed the resulting datastream, counting individual fluorescent neutrophils in all individual larvae in 5 minutes. This automation is facilitated by a machine learning segmentation algorithm that defines the most in-focus view of each larva in each well after which pixel intensity thresholding and blob detection are employed to locate and count fluorescent cells. We validated this method by comparing algorithmic neutrophil counts to manual counts in larvae subjected to changes in neutrophil numbers, demonstrating the utility of this approach for high-throughput genetic and chemical screens where a change in neutrophil number is an endpoint metric. Using the MCAM™ we have been able to, within minutes, acquire both enough data to create an automated algorithm and execute a biological experiment with statistical significance. Finally, we present this open-source software package which allows the user to train and evaluate a custom machine learning segmentation model and use it to localize zebrafish and analyze cell counts within the segmented region of interest. This software can be modified as needed for studies involving other zebrafish cell lineages using different transgenic reporter lines and can also be adapted for studies using other amenable model species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Giuliano Ferrero
- Department of Molecular Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | | | | | | | - Andi Barker
- Department of Molecular Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | | | | | - Kanghyun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | | | - Jeffrey A. Yoder
- Department of Molecular Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pan Z, Guo Y, Zhou Q, Wang Q, Pan S, Xu S, Li L. Perfluoroalkyl substance exposure is associated with asthma and innate immune cell count in US adolescents stratified by sex. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:52535-52548. [PMID: 36840869 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26065-7] [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: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may be harmful to humans; however, previous studies have been inconsistent regarding the potential for PFAS-induced immunosuppresion. This study explored the relationship between PFAS exposure and risks of asthma, wheezing, and immunosuppression in 12-19 year-olds using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Logistic regression models were used to reveal associations between serum PFAS levels and risks of asthma, wheezing, asthma attack, and emergency department visits. Pearson's correlation was used to determine the relationship between serum PFAS levels and leukocyte count. Data were also stratified by sex. We found that medium-low levels of serum perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) (6.90-12.40 ng/mL) and serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (2.43-3.60 ng/mL) were negatively related, respectively, to current asthma and wheezing in boys, and to wheezing in girls. Meanwhile, boys with medium-high levels (1.50-3.00 ng/mL) of serum perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) had a high risk of wheezing. Among asthmatic participants, both medium-high levels (3.75-5.07 ng/mL) of serum PFOA and high levels (> 3.92 ng/mL) of PFHxS correlated with asthma attacks in boys; likewise, medium-low levels (0.70-0.99 ng/mL) of serum PFNA correlated with asthma attacks in girls. Also, PFOA and PFNA levels were weakly positively correlated with basophil count, whereas PFOS levels were weakly negatively correlated with eosinophils in asthmatic boys, indicating that basophils may be important in the immune response to PFAS exposure among asthmatics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Pan
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory, Wuxi Children's Hospital affiliated to Jiangnan University, No. 299-1 at Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yun Guo
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory, Wuxi Children's Hospital affiliated to Jiangnan University, No. 299-1 at Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qin Zhou
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory, Wuxi Children's Hospital affiliated to Jiangnan University, No. 299-1 at Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory, Wuxi Children's Hospital affiliated to Jiangnan University, No. 299-1 at Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shanshan Pan
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory, Wuxi Children's Hospital affiliated to Jiangnan University, No. 299-1 at Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shiyao Xu
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory, Wuxi Children's Hospital affiliated to Jiangnan University, No. 299-1 at Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory, Wuxi Children's Hospital affiliated to Jiangnan University, No. 299-1 at Qingyang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
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: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
You D, Chang X, Guo L, Xie W, Huang S, Li X, Chai H, Wang Y. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the blood of police and Beagle dogs from Harbin, China: Concentrations and associations with hematological parameters. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 299:134367. [PMID: 35358559 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been omnipresent in the environment and marine organisms. However, little is known about these compounds and their associations with hematological parameters in dogs. In this research, we investigated the concentrations and distributions of PFASs in the blood of dogs and explored the associations between PFASs concentrations in blood and hematological parameters. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) was found to be the dominant PFAS in the blood (54.23%), followed by perfluorobutyric acid (PFBA) (16.05%) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) (12.05%). On average, PFASs concentration in dogs was 3.553 ng/mL (SD: 2.146). Moreover, age is a key factor influencing the levels of PFBA, PFOA, and PFBS in males, as well as seven PFASs (6:2 Cl-PFESA, PFBA, PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFDA, and PFNA) in female dogs' blood. The results revealed that PFHxS in dietary food accounted for most of the total daily PFASs consumption. We also discovered that greater PFASs exposure (including PFOA and PFOS) could significantly increase amylase (AMY) and decrease cholesterol (CHOL) levels. Furthermore, there are linear relationships between PFDA, PFNA and many biochemical parameters (AMY, CHOL, albumin/globulin (A/G), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine (CREA)). Thus, PFAS accumulation has a certain influence on dogs' health, and we must pay attention to the potential threat posed by these elements to dogs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan You
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Xiaochen Chang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Lijun Guo
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Wei Xie
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Shuping Huang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Hongliang Chai
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Yajun Wang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zeng G, Zhang Q, Wang X, Wu KH. The relationship between multiple perfluoroalkyl substances and cardiorespiratory fitness in male adolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:53433-53443. [PMID: 35288850 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19685-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is associated with a number of adverse health outcomes. However, the relationship between mixed and individual PFAS exposure and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in adolescents remains unclear. We used cross-sectional data from 491 teenagers (aged 13-19 years) from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and examined the association between mixed PFAS exposure and CRF via weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) was used to evaluate CRF. Multivariate linear regression was performed to investigate the relationship between each PFAS and VO2max as well as the relationship between PFAS exposure and the inflammation parameters and blood lipid content. Mediation analyses were performed to investigate possible explanations of the risk of low CRF due to PFAS exposure. The results showed that for males, mixed PFAS exposure was negatively related to VO2max (beta = - 0.80, 95% CI: - 1.53 to - 0.10, P = 0.028) and that of the PFASs, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) had the greatest influence on VO2max. In the individual PFAS analysis, PFNA was negatively related to VO2max in male adolescents (beta = - 1.49, 95% CI: - 2.65 to - 0.32, P = 0.013). Additionally, significant relationships among serum PFNA levels and total cholesterol and the white blood cell (WBC) count were found. Mediation analyses revealed that WBC count accounted for 24.18% of the variation between PFNA level and CRF. The present results provide epidemiological evidence that exposure to PFASs, mainly PFNA, is negatively associated with CRF, possibly via alterations in WBC count.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guowei Zeng
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Kai-Hong Wu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Emerging and legacy PFAS and cytokine homeostasis in women of childbearing age. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6517. [PMID: 35444213 PMCID: PMC9021217 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10501-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread chemicals. Legacy PFAS have been phased out of production in most developed countries and emerging PFAS (short-chain PFAS and polyfluorinated compounds) are used as legacy PFAS alternatives. The effect of legacy and emerging PFAS on cytokine homeostasis in human remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between legacy and emerging PFAS and cytokine profiles, and identify the main contributors to the disturbance of cytokine homeostasis. We quantified 21 PFAS in 198 Chinese women of childbearing age from 2015 to 2016. 13 cytokines were measured using the Meso Scale Discovery U-PLEX and V-PLEX platforms. The associations between PFAS exposure and cytokine levels were assessed using multiple linear regression (single-exposure), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models (PFAS mixture exposure). In single PFAS models, legacy and alternative PFAS were positively associated with Th1 and Treg cytokines, and negatively associated with Th2 and Th17 cytokines. For instance, each ln-unit increase in 6:2 chlorinated perfluoroalkyl ether sulfonic acid (6:2 Cl-PFESA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was associated with a decrease in IL-10 by − 0.228 (95% CI: − 0.336, − 0.120), − 0.153 (95% CI: − 0.277, − 0.030), and − 0.174 (95% CI: − 0.339, − 0.010), respectively. The BKMR model showed a significantly positive association of PFAS mixture with TGF-β and a negative association with IL-10. Overall, these results indicate that both legacy and emerging PFAS may affect the homeostasis of cytokines.
Collapse
|
13
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|