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Jia X, Liu W, Ling X, Li J, Ji J, Wang B, Zhao M. Sex and obesity influence the relationship between perfluoroalkyl substances and lean body mass: NHANES 2011-2018. Heliyon 2024; 10:e35888. [PMID: 39319151 PMCID: PMC11419868 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35888] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known endocrine disruptors, that have been the subject of limited research regarding their impact on human lean body mass. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PFAS exposure on lean body mass. Methods We performed a cross-sectional data analysis involving 1022 adolescents and 3274 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018, whose lean body mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The lean mass index (LMI) was calculated as lean body mass dividing by the square of height. The association between PFAS and LMI was examined through a multivariate-adjusted weighted generalized linear model. Moreover, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were employed to futher examine the relationship between the mixture of PFAS and LMI. Results Regression analyses revealed an inverse correlation between PFAS exposure and LMI after adjusting for potential covariates. Adults with higher serum PFAS concentrations manifested a reduction in whole LMI ( β = -0.193, 95 % confidence interval (CI): -0.325 to -0.06). Notably, this correlation was particularly significant in adult females and individuals with obesity, and it was observed across diverse anatomical regions, including lower limbs, right arm, trunk, and whole lean body mass. In adult females, the association between PFAS and whole LMI was statistically significant ( β = -0.294, 95 % CI: -0.495 to -0.094), and a similar trend was found in obese individuals ( β = -0.512, 95 % CI: -0.762 to -0.261). WQS regression analyses supported the results obtained from weighted linear regression analyses. Conclusions Our study suggests that exposure to PFAS, whether individually or in combination, is associated with decreased lean body mass in specific body areas, with sex and obesity serving as major influencing factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Jia
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Wenhui Liu
- Department of Informat and Data Anal Lab, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Xiaomeng Ling
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Jing Ji
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Baozhen Wang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Min Zhao
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
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Gaillard L, Barouki R, Blanc E, Coumoul X, Andréau K. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as persistent pollutants with metabolic and endocrine-disrupting impacts. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2024:S1043-2760(24)00202-9. [PMID: 39181731 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
The widespread use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and their resistance to degradation, renders human exposure to them inevitable. PFAS exposure disturbs endocrine function, potentially affecting cognitive development in newborns through thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy. Recent studies reveal varying male and female reproductive toxicity across PFAS classes, with alternative analogs affecting sperm parameters and legacy PFASs correlating with conditions like endometriosis. Metabolically, PFASs exposure is linked to metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), dyslipidemia, and liver toxicity, particularly in early childhood. This review focuses on the endocrine-disrupting impact of PFASs, particularly on fertility, thyroid, and metabolic functions. We highlight the complexity of the PFAS issue, given the large number of molecules and their extremely diverse mixed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Gaillard
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Robert Barouki
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Etienne Blanc
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Xavier Coumoul
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France.
| | - Karine Andréau
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France
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3
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Kuiper JR, Liu SH, Lanphear BP, Calafat AM, Cecil KM, Xu Y, Yolton K, Kalkwarf HJ, Chen A, Braun JM, Buckley JP. Estimating effects of longitudinal and cumulative exposure to PFAS mixtures on early adolescent body composition. Am J Epidemiol 2024; 193:917-925. [PMID: 38400650 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwae014] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Few methods have been used to characterize repeatedly measured biomarkers of chemical mixtures. We applied latent profile analysis (LPA) to serum concentrations of 4 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) measured at 4 time points from gestation to age 12 years. We evaluated the relationships between profiles and z scores of height, body mass index, fat mass index, and lean body mass index at age 12 years (n = 218). We compared LPA findings with an alternative approach for cumulative PFAS mixtures using g-computation to estimate the effect of simultaneously increasing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for all PFAS. We identified 2 profiles: a higher PFAS profile (35% of sample) and a lower PFAS profile (relative to each other), based on their average PFAS concentrations at all time points. The higher PFAS profile had generally lower z scores for all outcomes, with somewhat larger effects for males, though all 95% CIs crossed the null. For example, the higher PFAS profile was associated with a 0.50-unit lower (β = -0.50; 95% CI, -1.07 to 0.08) BMI z score among males but not among females (β = 0.04; 95% CI, -0.45 to 0.54). We observed similar patterns with AUCs. We found that a higher childhood PFAS profile and higher cumulative PFAS mixtures may be associated with altered growth in early adolescence. This article is part of a Special Collection on Environmental Epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan R Kuiper
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, United States
| | - Shelley H Liu
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, United States
| | - Kim M Cecil
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States
| | - Yingying Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States
| | - Kimberly Yolton
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States
- Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States
| | - Heidi J Kalkwarf
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States
| | - Aimin Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, United States
| | - Jessie P Buckley
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
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Wang YF, Zhang XR, Zou YX. Serum perfluoroalkyl substances and growth and development in US adolescents: a nationally representative cross-sectional study. Eur J Pediatr 2023; 182:4673-4681. [PMID: 37561199 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-023-05136-4] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), synthetic organic chemicals, have been discovered in the blood of both humans and animals throughout the world. This has raised widespread concerns about its toxicity, especially for growing children and adolescents. Most research on growth and development to date has concentrated on children at birth and during the first two years, while few studies have analyzed weight, height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) changes in children later in life. The present study aims to assess the association between serum PFAS levels and growth and development in adolescents. Through multiple linear regression, we explored the relationship between serum PFAS levels and weight, height, and BMI in adolescents (aged 12 to 19 years) participating in the 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). After covariate adjustment, serum perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was associated with decreased weight-for-age z-score in females (tertile 2 of PFOS: β = - 0.22, 95% CI: -0.68, 0.23; tertile 3 of PFOS: β = - 0.78, 95% CI: -1.20, - 0.36; P for trend = 0.009), while serum perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) was associated with decreased weight-for-age z-score in males (tertile 2 of PFNA: β = 0.09, 95% CI: -0.40, 0.58; tertile 3 of PFNA: β = - 0.44, 95% CI: -0.86, - 0.03; P for trend = 0.018).In addition, serum PFOS was associated with decreased BMI z-score in all participants (tertile 2 of PFOS: β = - 0.15, 95% CI: -0.46, 0.16; tertile 3 of PFOS: β = - 0.63, 95% CI: -1.06, - 0.20; P for trend = 0.013). CONCLUSION Our findings indicate a negative association between serum PFAS levels and weight, and BMI among adolescents, and we observed that the negative association was sex-specific in weight. WHAT IS KNOWN • Wide exposure to PFAS has led to concerns about its adverse effects, especially for children during their growth and development. • So far, much research has evaluated the effects of prenatal PFAS exposures on children, and the current results are mixed, with some research showing that there are sex differences. WHAT IS NEW • This study investigated the relationship between serum PFAS levels and height and weight in adolescents and is a good addition to current research. • Our study found that exposure to PFAS negatively affects adolescent growth and development and that this effect is sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Fan Wang
- Clinical School of Paediatrics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pulmonology, Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), Machang Compus, 225 Machang Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300074, China
| | - Xu-Ran Zhang
- Department of Pulmonology, Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), Machang Compus, 225 Machang Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300074, China
| | - Ying-Xue Zou
- Department of Pulmonology, Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), Machang Compus, 225 Machang Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300074, China.
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Frigerio G, Ferrari CM, Fustinoni S. Prenatal and childhood exposure to per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and its associations with childhood overweight and/or obesity: a systematic review with meta-analyses. Environ Health 2023; 22:56. [PMID: 37580798 PMCID: PMC10424367 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-01006-6] [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: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic pollutants and suspected endocrine disruptors. OBJECTIVE The aim of this work was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to summarise the associations between prenatal or childhood exposure to PFASs and childhood overweight/obesity. METHODS The search was performed on the bibliographic databases PubMed and Embase with text strings containing terms related to prenatal, breastfeeding, childhood, overweight, obesity, and PFASs. Only papers describing a biomonitoring study in pregnant women or in children up to 18 years that assessed body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), or fat mass in children were included. When the estimates of the association between a PFAS and an outcome were reported from at least 3 studies, a meta-analysis was conducted; moreover, to correctly compare the studies, we developed a method to convert the different effect estimates and made them comparable each other. Meta-analyses were performed also stratifying by sex and age, and sensitivity analyses were also performed. RESULTS In total, 484 and 779 articles were retrieved from PubMed and Embase, respectively, resulting in a total of 826 articles after merging duplicates. The papers included in this systematic review were 49: 26 evaluating prenatal exposure to PFASs, 17 childhood exposure, and 6 both. Considering a qualitative evaluation, results were conflicting, with positive, negative, and null associations. 30 papers were included in meta-analyses (19 prenatal, 7 children, and 4 both). Positive associations were evidenced between prenatal PFNA and BMI, between PFOA and BMI in children who were more than 3 years, and between prenatal PFNA and WC. Negative associations were found between prenatal PFOS and BMI in children who were 3 or less years, and between PFHxS and risk of overweight. Relatively more consistent negative associations were evidenced between childhood exposure to three PFASs (PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA) and BMI, in particular PFOS in boys. However, heterogeneity among studies was high. CONCLUSION Even though heterogeneous across studies, the pooled evidence suggests possible associations, mostly positive, between prenatal exposure to some PFASs and childhood BMI/WC; and relatively stronger evidence for negative associations between childhood exposure to PFASs and childhood BMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianfranco Frigerio
- Environmental Cheminformatics, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, Campus Belval | House of Biomedicine II, 6 Avenue du Swing, L-4367, Belvaux, Luxembourg.
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milano, Italy.
- Occupational Health Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Chiara Matilde Ferrari
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Fustinoni
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
- Occupational Health Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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6
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Rokoff LB, Seshasayee SM, Carwile JL, Rifas-Shiman SL, Botelho JC, Gordon CM, Hauser R, James-Todd T, Young JG, Rosen CJ, Calafat AM, Oken E, Fleisch AF. Associations of urinary metabolite concentrations of phthalates and phthalate replacements with body composition from mid-childhood to early adolescence. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 226:115629. [PMID: 36889566 PMCID: PMC10101932 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115629] [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: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phthalates may adversely influence body composition by lowering anabolic hormones and activating peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor gamma. However, data are limited in adolescence when body mass distributions rapidly change and bone accrual peaks. Also, potential health effects of certain phthalate/replacements [e.g., di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DEHTP)] have not been well studied. METHODS Among 579 children in the Project Viva cohort, we used linear regression to evaluate associations of urinary concentrations of 19 phthalate/replacement metabolites from mid-childhood (median: 7.6 years; 2007-2010) with annualized change in areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and lean, total fat, and truncal fat mass as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry between mid-childhood and early adolescence (median: 12.8 years). We used quantile g-computation to assess associations of the overall chemical mixture with body composition. We adjusted for sociodemographics and tested for sex-specific associations. RESULTS Urinary concentrations were highest for mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate [median (IQR): 46.7 (69.1) ng/mL]. We detected metabolites of most replacement phthalates in a relatively small number of participants [e.g., 28% for mono-2-ethyl-5-hydrohexyl terephthalate (MEHHTP; metabolite of DEHTP)]. Detectable (vs. non-detectable) MEHHTP was associated with less bone and greater fat accrual in males and greater bone and lean mass accrual in females [e.g., change in aBMD Z-score/year (95% CI): -0.049 (-0.085, -0.013) in males versus 0.042 (0.007, 0.076) in females; pinteraction<0.01]. Children with higher concentrations of mono-oxo-isononyl phthalate and mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) had greater bone accrual. Males with higher concentrations of MCPP and mono-carboxynonyl phthalate had greater accrual of lean mass. Other phthalate/replacement biomarkers, and their mixtures, were not associated with longitudinal changes in body composition. CONCLUSIONS Concentrations of select phthalate/replacement metabolites in mid-childhood were associated with changes in body composition through early adolescence. As use of phthalate replacements such as DEHTP may be increasing, further investigation can help better understand the potential effects of early-life exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa B Rokoff
- Center for Interdisciplinary Population & Health Research, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Portland, ME, USA.
| | - Shravanthi M Seshasayee
- Center for Interdisciplinary Population & Health Research, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Portland, ME, USA
| | - Jenny L Carwile
- Center for Interdisciplinary Population & Health Research, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Portland, ME, USA
| | - Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julianne Cook Botelho
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Catherine M Gordon
- USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Russ Hauser
- Department of Environmental Health and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tamarra James-Todd
- Department of Environmental Health and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica G Young
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clifford J Rosen
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Scarborough, ME, USA
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abby F Fleisch
- Center for Interdisciplinary Population & Health Research, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Portland, ME, USA; Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA
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Schillemans T, Iszatt N, Remy S, Schoeters G, Fernández MF, D'Cruz SC, Desalegn A, Haug LS, Lignell S, Lindroos AK, Fábelová L, Murinova LP, Kosjek T, Tkalec Ž, Gabriel C, Sarigiannis D, Pedraza-Díaz S, Esteban-López M, Castaño A, Rambaud L, Riou M, Pauwels S, Vanlarebeke N, Kolossa-Gehring M, Vogel N, Uhl M, Govarts E, Åkesson A. Cross-sectional associations between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and body mass index among European teenagers in the HBM4EU aligned studies. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 316:120566. [PMID: 36334774 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread pollutants that may impact youth adiposity patterns. We investigated cross-sectional associations between PFAS and body mass index (BMI) in teenagers/adolescents across nine European countries within the Human Biomonitoring for Europe (HBM4EU) initiative. We used data from 1957 teenagers (12-18 yrs) that were part of the HBM4EU aligned studies, consisting of nine HBM studies (NEBII, Norway; Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17, Sweden; PCB cohort (follow-up), Slovakia; SLO CRP, Slovenia; CROME, Greece; BEA, Spain; ESTEBAN, France; FLEHS IV, Belgium; GerES V-sub, Germany). Twelve PFAS were measured in blood, whilst weight and height were measured by field nurse/physician or self-reported in questionnaires. We assessed associations between PFAS and age- and sex-adjusted BMI z-scores using linear and logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders. Random-effects meta-analysis and mixed effects models were used to pool studies. We assessed mixture effects using molar sums of exposure biomarkers with toxicological/structural similarities and quantile g-computation. In all studies, the highest concentrations of PFAS were PFOS (medians ranging from 1.34 to 2.79 μg/L). There was a tendency for negative associations with BMI z-scores for all PFAS (except for PFHxS and PFHpS), which was borderline significant for the molar sum of [PFOA and PFNA] and significant for single PFOA [β-coefficient (95% CI) per interquartile range fold change = -0.06 (-0.17, 0.00) and -0.08 (-0.15, -0.01), respectively]. Mixture assessment indicated similar negative associations of the total mixture of [PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS and PFOS] with BMI z-score, but not all compounds showed associations in the same direction: whilst [PFOA, PFNA and PFOS] were negatively associated, [PFHxS] associated positively with BMI z-score. Our results indicated a tendency for associations of relatively low PFAS concentrations with lower BMI in European teenagers. More prospective research is needed to investigate this potential relationship and its implications for health later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Schillemans
- Unit of Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
| | - Nina Iszatt
- Division of Climate and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Sylvie Remy
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Greet Schoeters
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mariana F Fernández
- Centre for Biomedical Research (CIBM) and School of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Shereen Cynthia D'Cruz
- Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Rennes, France
| | - Anteneh Desalegn
- Division of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Line S Haug
- Division of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | | | | | - Lucia Fábelová
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lubica Palkovicova Murinova
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tina Kosjek
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Žiga Tkalec
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Catherine Gabriel
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Balkan Center, Bldg. B, 10th Km Thessaloniki-Thermi Road, 57001, Greece
| | - Denis Sarigiannis
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece; HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Balkan Center, Bldg. B, 10th Km Thessaloniki-Thermi Road, 57001, Greece; Environmental Health Engineering, Institute of Advanced Study, Palazzo Del Broletto - Piazza Della Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Susana Pedraza-Díaz
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Esteban-López
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Argelia Castaño
- National Centre for Environmental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Loïc Rambaud
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé Publique France, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - Margaux Riou
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Santé Publique France, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - Sara Pauwels
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nik Vanlarebeke
- Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Nina Vogel
- German Environment Agency, Umweltbundesamt (UBA), Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Uhl
- Environment Agency Austria, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Govarts
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium
| | - Agneta Åkesson
- Unit of Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
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8
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Blake BE, Miller CN, Nguyen H, Chappell VA, Phan TP, Phadke DP, Balik-Meisner MR, Mav D, Shah RR, Fenton SE. Transcriptional pathways linked to fetal and maternal hepatic dysfunction caused by gestational exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA or GenX) in CD-1 mice. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 248:114314. [PMID: 36436258 PMCID: PMC9742811 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114314] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise a diverse class of chemicals used in industrial processes, consumer products, and fire-fighting foams which have become environmental pollutants of concern due to their persistence, ubiquity, and associations with adverse human health outcomes, including in pregnant persons and their offspring. Multiple PFAS are associated with adverse liver outcomes in adult humans and toxicological models, but effects on the developing liver are not fully described. Here we performed transcriptomic analyses in the mouse to investigate the molecular mechanisms of hepatic toxicity in the dam and its fetus after exposure to two different PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its replacement, hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA, known as GenX). Pregnant CD-1 mice were exposed via oral gavage from embryonic day (E) 1.5-17.5 to PFOA (0, 1, or 5 mg/kg-d) or GenX (0, 2, or 10 mg/kg-d). Maternal and fetal liver RNA was isolated (N = 5 per dose/group) and the transcriptome analyzed by Affymetrix Array. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) and differentially enriched pathways (DEP) were obtained. DEG patterns were similar in maternal liver for 5 mg/kg PFOA, 2 mg/kg GenX, and 10 mg/kg GenX (R2: 0.46-0.66). DEG patterns were similar across all 4 dose groups in fetal liver (R2: 0.59-0.81). There were more DEGs in fetal liver compared to maternal liver at the low doses for both PFOA (fetal = 69, maternal = 8) and GenX (fetal = 154, maternal = 93). Upregulated DEPs identified across all groups included Fatty Acid Metabolism, Peroxisome, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Adipogenesis, and Bile Acid Metabolism. Transcriptome-phenotype correlation analyses demonstrated > 1000 maternal liver DEGs were significantly correlated with maternal relative liver weight (R2 >0.92). These findings show shared biological pathways of liver toxicity for PFOA and GenX in maternal and fetal livers in CD-1 mice. The limited overlap in specific DEGs between the dam and fetus suggests the developing liver responds differently than the adult liver to these chemical stressors. This work helps define mechanisms of hepatic toxicity of two structurally unique PFAS and may help predict latent consequences of developmental exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bevin E Blake
- Chemical and Pollutant Assessment Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Colette N Miller
- Cardiopulmonary Immunotoxicology Branch, Public Health and Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Helen Nguyen
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Vesna A Chappell
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Trina P Phan
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Deepak Mav
- Sciome LLC, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | - Suzanne E Fenton
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Blomberg A, Mortensen J, Weihe P, Grandjean P. Bone mass density following developmental exposures to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): a longitudinal cohort study. Environ Health 2022; 21:113. [PMID: 36402982 PMCID: PMC9675242 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00929-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental exposures to industrial chemicals, including perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in bone development and future risk of osteoporosis. However, as prospective evidence is limited, the role of developmental PFAS exposures in bone density changes in childhood is unclear. The objective of this study was to estimate associations between serum-PFAS concentrations measured in infancy and early childhood and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) measured at age 9 years in a birth cohort of children from the Faroe Islands. METHODS We prospectively measured concentrations of five PFAS in cord serum and serum collected at 18 months, 5 years and 9 years, and conducted whole-body DXA scans at the 9-year clinical visit. Our study included 366 mother-child pairs with DXA scans and at least one PFAS measurement. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations of individual PFAS concentrations with age-, sex- and height-adjusted aBMD z-scores using multivariable regression models and applied formal mediation analysis to estimate the possible impact of by several measures of body composition. We also evaluated whether associations were modified by child sex. RESULTS We found PFAS exposures in childhood to be negatively associated with aBMD z-scores, with the strongest association seen for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) at age 5 years. A doubling in age-5 PFNA was associated with a 0.15 decrease in aBMD z-score (95% CI: - 0.26, - 0.039). The PFNA-aBMD association was significantly stronger in males than females, although effect modification by sex was not significant for other PFAS exposures. Results from the mediation analysis suggested that any potential associations between aBMD and 18-month PFAS concentrations may be mediated by total body fat and BMI, although most estimated total effects for PFAS exposures at age 18 months were non-significant. PFAS exposures at age 9 were not associated with age-9 aBMD z-scores. CONCLUSIONS The PFAS-aBMD associations identified in this and previous studies suggest that bone may be a target tissue for PFAS. Pediatric bone density has been demonstrated to strongly track through young adulthood and possibly beyond; therefore, these prospective results may have important public health implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise Blomberg
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Scheelevägen 2, 22363, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Jann Mortensen
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Medicine, The Faroese National Hospital, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Pál Weihe
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Faroese Hospital System, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
- Center of Health Science, University of the Faroe Islands, Torshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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10
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Cope HA, Blake BE, Love C, McCord J, Elmore SA, Harvey JB, Chappell VA, Fenton SE. Latent, sex-specific metabolic health effects in CD-1 mouse offspring exposed to PFOA or HFPO-DA (GenX) during gestation. EMERGING CONTAMINANTS 2021; 7:219-235. [PMID: 35097227 PMCID: PMC8794304 DOI: 10.1016/j.emcon.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is an environmental contaminant associated with adverse metabolic outcomes in developmentally exposed human populations and mouse models. Hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commonly called GenX) has replaced PFOA in many industrial applications in the U.S. and Europe and has been measured in global water systems from <1 to 9350 ng/L HFPO-DA. Health effects data for GenX are lacking. OBJECTIVE Determine the effects of gestational exposure to GenX on offspring weight gain trajectory, adult metabolic health, liver pathology and key adipose gene pathways in male and female CD-1 mice. METHODS Daily oral doses of GenX (0.2, 1.0, 2.0 mg/kg), PFOA (0.1, 1.0 mg/kg), or vehicle control were administered to pregnant mice (gestation days 1.5-17.5). Offspring were fed a high- or low-fat diet (HFD or LFD) at weaning until necropsy at 6 or 18 weeks, and metabolic endpoints were measured over time. PFOA and GenX serum and urine concentrations, weight gain, serum lipid parameters, body mass composition, glucose tolerance, white adipose tissue gene expression, and liver histopathology were evaluated. RESULTS Prenatal exposure to GenX led to its accumulation in the serum and urine of 5-day old pups (P = 0.007, P < 0.001), which was undetectable by weaning. By 18 weeks of age, male mice fed LFD in the 2.0 mg/kg GenX group displayed increased weight gain (P < 0.05), fat mass (P = 0.016), hepatocellular microvesicular fatty change (P = 0.015), and insulin sensitivity (P = 0.014) in comparison to control males fed LFD. Female mice fed HFD had a significant increase in hepatocyte single cell necrosis in 1.0 mg/kg GenX group (P = 0.022) and 1.0 mg/kg PFOA group (P = 0.003) compared to control HFD females. Both sexes were affected by gestational GenX exposure; however, the observed phenotype varied between sex with males displaying more characteristics of metabolic disease and females exhibiting liver damage in response to the gestational exposure. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal exposure to 1 mg/kg GenX and 1 mg/kg PFOA induces adverse metabolic outcomes in adult mice that are diet- and sex-dependent. GenX also accumulated in pup serum, suggesting that placental and potentially lactational transfer are important exposure routes for GenX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harlie A. Cope
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Bevin E. Blake
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Charlotte Love
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - James McCord
- Multimedia Methods Branch, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, NC, USA
| | - Susan A. Elmore
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, NIH, RTP, NC, USA
| | - Janice B. Harvey
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, NIH, RTP, NC, USA
| | - Vesna A. Chappell
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Suzanne E. Fenton
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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11
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Thomsen ML, Henriksen LS, Tinggaard J, Nielsen F, Jensen TK, Main KM. Associations between exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and body fat evaluated by DXA and MRI in 109 adolescent boys. Environ Health 2021; 20:73. [PMID: 34187491 PMCID: PMC8244201 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-021-00758-3] [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: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has been associated with changes in body mass index and adiposity, but evidence is inconsistent as study design, population age, follow-up periods and exposure levels vary between studies. We investigated associations between PFAS exposure and body fat in a cross-sectional study of healthy boys. METHODS In 109 boys (10-14 years old), magnetic resonance imaging and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were performed to evaluate abdominal, visceral fat, total body, android, gynoid, android/gynoid ratio, and total fat percentage standard deviation score. Serum was analysed for perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, and perfluorodecanoic acid using liquid chromatography and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Data were analysed by multivariate linear regression. RESULTS Serum concentrations of PFASs were low. Generally, no clear associations between PFAS exposure and body fat measures were found; however, PFOS was negatively associated with abdominal fat (β = -0.18, P = 0.046), android fat (β = -0.34, P = 0.022), android/gynoid ratio (β = -0.21, P = 0.004), as well as total body fat (β = -0.21, P = 0.079) when adjusting for Tanner stage. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we found no consistent associations between PFAS exposure and body fat. This could be due to our cross-sectional study design. Furthermore, we assessed PFAS exposure in adolescence and not in utero, which is considered a more vulnerable time window of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Lolk Thomsen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise Scheutz Henriksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jeanette Tinggaard
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Katharina M. Main
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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