Metabolic Signatures of Youth Exposure to Mixtures of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: A Multi-Cohort Study
Jesse A. Goodrich, Douglas I. Walker, Jingxuan He, Xiangping Lin, Brittney O. Baumert, Xin Hu, Tanya L. Alderete, Zhanghua Chen, Damaskini Valvi, Zoe Coates Fuentes, Sarah Rock, Hongxu Wang, Kiros Berhane, Frank D. Gilliland, Michael I. Goran, Dean P. Jones, David V. Conti, Leda Chatzi
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is ubiquitous and has been associated with an increased risk of several cardiometabolic diseases. However, the metabolic pathways linking PFAS exposure and human disease are unclear. OBJECTIVE: We examined associations of PFAS mixtures with alterations in metabolic pathways in independent cohorts of adolescents and young adults. METHODS: -tests. RESULTS: th percentile), thyroxine (T4), a thyroid hormone related to tyrosine metabolism, increased by 0.72 standard deviations (SDs; equivalent to a standardized mean difference) in the SOLAR cohort (95% Bayesian credible interval (BCI): 0.00, 1.20) and 1.60 SD in the CHS cohort (95% BCI: 0.39, 2.80). Similarly, when going from low to high PFAS exposure, arachidonic acid increased by 0.81 SD in the SOLAR cohort (95% BCI: 0.37, 1.30) and 0.67 SD in the CHS cohort (95% BCI: 0.00, 1.50). In general, no individual PFAS appeared to drive the observed associations. DISCUSSION: Exposure to PFAS is associated with alterations in amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism in adolescents and young adults. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11372.