Exposure to Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals and Cholesterol, Body Weight, and Insulin Resistance in the General U.S. Population

Abstract

BackgroundPolyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) are used commonly in commercial applications and are detected in humans and the environment worldwide. Concern has been raised that they may disrupt lipid and weight regulation.ObjectivesWe investigated the relationship between PFC serum concentrations and lipid and weight outcomes in a large publicly available data set.MethodsWe analyzed data from the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for participants 12–80 years of age. Using linear regression to control for covariates, we studied the association between serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and measures of cholesterol, body size, and insulin resistance.ResultsWe observed a positive association between concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA and total and non-high-density cholesterol. We found the opposite for PFHxS. Those in the highest quartile of PFOS exposure had total cholesterol levels 13.4 mg/dL [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.8–23.0] higher than those in the lowest quartile. For PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS, effect estimates were 9.8 (95% CI, −0.2 to 19.7), 13.9 (95% CI, 1.9–25.9), and −7.0 (95% CI, −13.2 to −0.8), respectively. A similar pattern emerged when exposures were modeled continuously. We saw little evidence of a consistent association with body size or insulin resistance.ConclusionsThis exploratory cross-sectional study is consistent with other epidemiologic studies in finding a positive association between PFOS and PFOA and cholesterol, despite much lower exposures in NHANES. Results for PFNA and PFHxS are novel, emphasizing the need to study PFCs other than PFOS and PFOA.

Perfluoroheptanoic acid affects amphibian embryogenesis by inducing the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK

“…This specific reduction in the xPTB mRNA level may cause increased LDL accumulation in the liver, which can in turn lead to chronic cardiac disease, such as atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction (37). Consistent with this, individuals with a high concentration of PFCs in their blood are more susceptible to LDL-associated adverse effects (5).…”

“…Furthermore, the hydrophobic fluorinated alkyl chain and the lipophilic functional group make PFCs valuable in many industrial and commercial processes involved in the production of fabrics, electronics, pesticides, emulsifiers, paints and adhesives (3,4). This wide-ranging use of perfluorohexanoic (PFHxA) and perfluoroheptanoic (PFHpA) acids has resulted in their detection as pollutants in water, sediments, air, wildlife and humans, and these compounds are not degraded by any naturally occurring processes in the environment (5).…”

“…The levels of PFCs were elevated in individuals with regular occupational exposure to PFCs (4.3 ppb), as compared to the general population (12). Their unique physicochemical properties make PFCs highly persistent, increasing their bioaccumulation and toxicological effects (5,13). In addition, it has been shown that PFCs exert toxic reproductive and developmental effects on human and animal systems (12,14,15).…”

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in indoor and outdoor dusts around a mega fluorochemical industrial park in China: Implications for human exposure

“…In humans, statistical associations between PFOS or PFOA levels and reduced birth weight (Stein et al, 2009), cholesterol (Nelson et al, 2010), uric acid (Steenland et al, 2010), sperm quality (Joensen et al, 2009), kidney and testicular cancer (Barry et al, 2013), and ulcerative colitis have been reported. The main routes for human exposure to PFAAs include ingestion of dust, food and drinking water consumption, and inhalation of PFAAs-contaminated air (Fromme et al, 2009;D'Hollander et al, 2010).…”

Associations between serum concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids and serum lipid levels in a Chinese population

“…In addition, another study utilizing the APOEn3-Leiden.CETP mouse model showed that PFOS may reduce TC by impairing lipoprotein production (Bijland et al, 2011). Compared with the effects found in animals, studies in humans have reported inconsistent associations between PFAAs and serum lipids (Frisbee et al, 2010a;Nelson et al, 2010;Fisher et al, 2013). Nelson et al (2010) investigated four types of PFAAs and reported that people in the highest PFOA quartile had TC levels 0.25 mmol/L higher than those in the lowest quartile, while Fisher et al (2013) found no significant association between cholesterol levels and PFOS or PFOA levels.…”