Association of perfluoroalkyl substances exposure with reproductive hormone levels in adolescents: By sex status

Abstract

Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of common chemicals that ubiquitously exist in wildlife and humans. However, few studies have researched the effect of PFASs on reproductive hormones in adolescents. To provide information in this regard, we recruited 225 Taiwanese adolescents aged 13-15years from 2009 to 2010 to investigate the relationship between serum PFASs (PFOS, PFOA, PFBS, PFDA, PFDoA, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFNA and PFTA) and reproductive hormone concentrations using a cross-sectional study design. Results showed PFOS and PFTA levels were highest among the PFASs, with a median concentrations of 29.9 (interquartile range: 13.0-43.8) ng/mL and 6.0 (0.6-25.9) ng/mL in males, and a median concentrations of 28.8 (14.8-42.6) ng/mL and 4.5 (0.3-18.4) ng/mL in females. After adjustment for confounding factors, nonsignificant associations between PFASs and reproductive hormone were found except for PFNA with ln(estradiol) (β=0.2060, 95%CI: 0.0016, 0.4105). When stratified by sex, more significant associations were found in males than in females. Among males, PFASs were negatively associated with ln(testosterone) level for PFOS (β=-0.0029, 95%CI: -0.0055, -0.0003), PFDA (β=-0.2565, 95%CI: -0.4135, -0.0994), PFHxA (β=-0.3095, 95%CI: -0.5942, -0.0248), and PFNA (β=-0.4233, 95%CI: -0.6998, -0.1467). Furthermore, male participant ln(estradiol) levels were positively associated with PFOA (β=0.0921, 95%CI: 0.0186, 0.1656), and PFHxS (β=0.0462, 95%CI: 0.0020, 0.0905). Among females, a significant relationship was found only for PFDoA with ln(testosterone) (β=-0.0119, 95%CI: -0.0227, -0.0010). In conclusion, this study showed higher levels of PFASs coincide with lower testosterone and higher estradiol levels, and more significant associations of PFASs with reproductive hormone were found in males than in females.

Serum perfluoroalkyl substances and cardiometabolic consequences in adolescents exposed to the World Trade Center disaster and a matched comparison group

“…Recently, Zhou and colleagues have reported that higher levels of PFASs are associated with lower testosterone and higher estradiol levels, and these associations seem to be more relevant in males than females. 54 We could speculate that the associations of PFOA and PFNA with increased arterial distensibility could be partly interpreted in light of concomitant alterations in sex hormone levels which, in turn, may influence vascular stiffness.…”

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their effects on the ovary

“…Similarly, girls aged 6–9 years who enrolled in the C8 Health Project also had lower serum T levels with higher exposure to PFOS ( Lopez-Espinosa et al , 2016 ). Although no association was observed for PFOA and PFOS exposures with E2 or T in Chinese adolescent girls, serum T levels decreased by 1.2% (95% CI: −2.2%, −0.1%) with an 1-ng/mL increase in serum PFDoA concentrations ( Zhou et al , 2016 ).…”

Exposure to Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances and Health Outcomes in Children: A Systematic Review of the Epidemiologic Literature

“…Of special interest to this review are mechanisms that may affect the developing organism. Potential mechanisms of action include peroxisome proliferation [ 10 ], mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress [ 11 , 12 ], effects on reproductive hormones including progesterone [HE1] [ 13 , 14 ], estrogen [ 14 ], inhibin [ 13 ], and testosterone [ 15 ], loss of gap junction intercellular communication [ 16 ], and interruption of thyroid function [ 17 ]. In the liver, peroxisome proliferation is much stronger in laboratory rodents than in humans [ 10 ], likely contributing to inter-species cholesterol differences with PFCs including hypolipidemia or decreased cholesterol in mice and hyperlipidemia in humans.…”