Sims Clark R, Sehgal Neha, Turner Donald, Havens Lauren A, Morris Andrew J, Shankar Kartik, Pearson Kevin J, Everson Todd M, Andres Aline
Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, 15 Children's Way, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72202, USA.
Environ Health. 2025 Apr 30;24(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s12940-025-01181-8.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals and widespread environmental contaminants. PFAS cross the placental barrier and reach the developing fetus with potential impacts on many organ systems. There are no studies of PFAS in residents of central Arkansas despite reports of environmental contamination in the region. We aimed to quantify PFAS concentrations in repeated serum samples from participants living in central Arkansas and to investigate relationships with maternal cardiometabolic health during pregnancy.
Participants were enrolled during early pregnancy in a longitudinal study (NCT01131117) from 2010 to 2014. PFAS concentrations were measured in serum from each trimester (first trimester n = 282, second trimester n = 217, and third trimester n = 195). PFAS were compared across pregnancy. Linear and linear-mixed effects models were used to investigate relationships between trimester-specific PFAS levels, as single exposures, and maternal outcomes. Effects of PFAS as an exposure mixture were estimated using quantile g-computation.
Six PFAS were detected in more than 70% of the maternal serum samples: PFOS, PFOA, PFBS, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFHxA. In adjusted linear-mixed models and quantile g-computation models, maternal serum PFAS levels were significantly negatively associated with triglycerides [effect estimates (β)= -16.29; 95% confidence interval (CI)= -24.95, -7.63], total cholesterol (β= -12.77; 95%CI= -19.80, -5.74), low-density lipoproteins (β= -10.83; 95%CI = -16.72, -4.93), high-density lipoproteins (β= -4.10; 95%CI= -6.23, -1.96), and pulse (β= -1.60; 95%CI= -2.85, -0.35). Maternal serum PFAS, as a mixture, was not associated with maternal diastolic blood pressure, but separately, PFAS, PFOS, PFOA and PFNA had significant positive associations.
This study evaluated PFAS exposures during pregnancy in central Arkansas. We show that PFAS exposure during pregnancy influences maternal cardiometabolic outcomes and a case in point that future studies are needed to determine the impact on maternal health and to investigate potential interventions to limit the effects of PFAS exposure during pregnancy.
全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）是内分泌干扰化学物质，也是广泛存在的环境污染物。PFAS可穿过胎盘屏障，影响发育中的胎儿，对许多器官系统产生潜在影响。尽管有该地区环境污染的报道，但阿肯色州中部居民中尚未有关于PFAS的研究。我们旨在量化阿肯色州中部参与者重复血清样本中的PFAS浓度，并调查其与孕期母体心脏代谢健康的关系。
参与者于2010年至2014年在一项纵向研究（NCT01131117）的孕早期入组。测量了每个孕期（孕早期n = 282，孕中期n = 217，孕晚期n = 195）血清中的PFAS浓度。对整个孕期的PFAS进行了比较。使用线性和线性混合效应模型研究特定孕期PFAS水平作为单一暴露与母体结局之间的关系。使用分位数g计算估计PFAS作为暴露混合物的影响。
在超过70%的母体血清样本中检测到六种PFAS：全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）、全氟辛酸（PFOA）、全氟丁烷磺酸（PFBS）、全氟己烷磺酸（PFHxS）、全氟萘酸（PFNA）和全氟己酸（PFHxA）。在调整后的线性混合模型和分位数g计算模型中，母体血清PFAS水平与甘油三酯[效应估计值（β）= -16.29；95%置信区间（CI）= -24.95，-7.63]、总胆固醇（β = -12.77；95%CI = -19.80，-5.74）、低密度脂蛋白（β = -10.83；95%CI = -16.72，-4.93）、高密度脂蛋白（β = -4.10；95%CI = -6.23，-1.96）和脉搏（β = -1.60；95%CI = -2.85，-0.35）呈显著负相关。母体血清PFAS作为混合物与母体舒张压无关，但单独来看，PFAS、PFOS、PFOA和PFNA有显著正相关。
本研究评估了阿肯色州中部孕期的PFAS暴露情况。我们发现孕期PFAS暴露会影响母体心脏代谢结局，这表明未来需要进行研究以确定其对母体健康的影响，并调查潜在干预措施以限制孕期PFAS暴露的影响。
