Epidemiologic evidence regarding
the effects of in utero exposure
to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), particularly short-chain
PFAS, on fetal reproductive hormones is limited and inconsistent.
This study aimed to assess the relationship between maternal PFAS
exposure and fetal reproductive hormones. A total of 752 mother-infant
pairs who were recruited in the Shanghai Birth Cohort Study between
2013 and 2016 were selected. We quantified 10 PFAS, including two
short-chain PFAS congeners (perfluorobutanesulfonate, PFBS and perfluoroheptanoic
acid, PFHpA), in maternal blood plasma in early pregnancy. Dehydroepiandrosterone
sulfate (DHEA-S), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), luteinizing
hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and total testosterone
(TT) were measured in the umbilical cord blood using chemiluminescence
kits. Free androgen index (FAI) was calculated by TT divided by SHBG.
Multiple linear regression found that one ln-unit increase in maternal
PFBS was associated with decreases in FSH (−0.159; 95% CI:
−0.290, −0.029), LH (−0.113; 95% CI: −0.221,
−0.004), and FAI (−0.009; 95% CI: −0.017, −0.001).
In addition, PFHpA showed negative associations with LH (−0.154;
95% CI: −0.297, −0.011) and FAI (−0.008; 95%
CI: −0.014, −0.002). When PFAS were analyzed in quartiles,
significant negative associations were observed between PFBS and FSH,
and between PFHpA and FAI. Overall, prenatal exposure to PFBS and
PFHpA was associated with the disturbance of fetal gonadotropins as
well as free androgen level in this prospective cohort, suggesting
that the reproductive toxicity of short-chain PFAS may not be neglected.
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