Palaniyandi Jana, Bruin Jennifer E, Kumarathasan Premkumari, MacPherson Susan, Borghese Michael M, Ashley-Martin Jillian
Department of Biology and Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario.
Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
Environ Epidemiol. 2023 Jul 25;7(4):e262. doi: 10.1097/EE9.0000000000000262. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants that induce immunotoxicity in experimental studies; however, epidemiological evidence-particularly during pregnancy-is scarce. We quantified associations between first trimester plasma perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) concentrations and third trimester concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers and determined if these associations were modified by fetal sex.
We analyzed data from 1411 participants, recruited between 2008 and 2011, in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals study. Our primary outcome was a composite inflammatory index derived by summing the z-scores of eight proinflammatory biomarkers. Using multivariable linear regression models, we quantified associations between each PFAS and the inflammatory index and individual biomarkers. We quantified the effects of the PFAS mixture using weighted quantile sum regression, and evaluated effect modification using product terms and sex-stratified models.
Each doubling of PFOA and PFHxS was associated with a 0.38 (95% CI, 0.09, 0.67) and 0.21 (95% CI, 0.01, 0.41) SD increase in the proinflammatory index, respectively. A one-quartile increase in the PFAS mixture was associated with a 0.40 (95% CI, 0.09, 0.71) SD increase in the proinflammatory index. In individual models, we observed positive associations between PFAS and concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, and matrix metalloproteinases-9; however, the magnitude and precision varied according to the specific PFAS. Sex-specific findings were identified in few PFAS-biomarker associations.
PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS, individually and as a mixture, were positively associated with proinflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy.
全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）是持久性环境污染物，在实验研究中会诱发免疫毒性；然而，流行病学证据，尤其是孕期的证据却很匮乏。我们对孕早期血浆中全氟辛酸（PFOA）、全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）和全氟己烷磺酸（PFHxS）浓度与孕晚期炎症生物标志物浓度之间的关联进行了量化，并确定这些关联是否因胎儿性别而有所不同。
我们分析了2008年至2011年间招募的1411名母婴环境化学物质研究参与者的数据。我们的主要结局是通过将八种促炎生物标志物的z分数相加得出的综合炎症指数。使用多变量线性回归模型，我们量化了每种PFAS与炎症指数及个体生物标志物之间的关联。我们使用加权分位数和回归量化了PFAS混合物的影响，并使用乘积项和按性别分层的模型评估了效应修正。
PFOA和PFHxS浓度每增加一倍，促炎指数分别增加0.38（95%置信区间，0.09，0.67）和0.21（95%置信区间，0.01，0.41）标准差。PFAS混合物增加一个四分位数与促炎指数增加0.40（95%置信区间，0.09，0.71）标准差相关。在个体模型中，我们观察到PFAS与单核细胞趋化蛋白-1、巨噬细胞炎症蛋白-1β和基质金属蛋白酶-9浓度之间存在正相关；然而，其幅度和精度因具体的PFAS而异。在少数PFAS-生物标志物关联中发现了性别特异性结果。
PFOA、PFOS和PFHxS单独及混合存在时，与孕期促炎生物标志物呈正相关。
