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Xie X, Weng X, Liu S, Chen J, Guo X, Gao X, Fei Q, Hao G, Jing C, Feng L. Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and association with sex hormone concentrations: Results from the NHANES 2015-2016. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2021; 33:69. [PMID: 36061407 PMCID: PMC9440377 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-021-00508-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing global concern regarding the health impacts of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are emerging environmental endocrine disruptors. Results from previous epidemiological studies on the associations between PFAS exposure and sex hormone levels are inconsistent. OBJECTIVE We examined the associations between serum PFAS compounds (PFDeA, PFHxS, PFNA, PFOA, PFOS) and sex hormones, including total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), estrogen (E), and serum hormone binding globulin (SHBG). RESULTS After adjusting for potential confounders, PFDeA, PFOS, and PFHxS exposures were significantly associated with increased serum testosterone concentrations in males. PFDeA, PFOA, and PFOS exposures were positively correlated with FT levels in 20-49 years old women while PFOS exposure was negatively associated with TT levels in 12-19 years old girls. PFAS exposure was negatively associated with estradiol levels including: PFDeA in all females, PFHxS, PFNA, PFOS, and PFOA in 12-19 years old girls, PFNA in women above 50 years old, and PFOA in 12-19 years old boys while PFDeA and PFOS exposures were positively associated with estradiol levels in these boys. n-PFOS exposure was positively associated with SHBG levels in men older than 20 and in all females. CONCLUSIONS Using a large cohort of males and females aged from 12-80, we found that PFAS exposure appears to disrupt sex hormones in a gender-, age-, and compound-specific manner. Future work is warranted to clarify the causality and mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xie
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Xueqiong Weng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Shan Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingmin Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Xinrong Guo
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Xinyu Gao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiaoyuan Fei
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Guang Hao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Chunxia Jing
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, No.601 Huangpu Ave West, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Liping Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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