Prenatal exposure to perfluorooctanoate and risk of overweight at 20 years of age: a prospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Perfluoroalkyl acids are persistent compounds used in various industrial -applications. Of these compounds, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) is currently detected in humans worldwide. A recent study on low-dose developmental exposure to PFOA in mice reported increased weight and elevated biomarkers of adiposity in postpubertal female offspring.


OBJECTIVE
We examined whether the findings of increased weight in postpubertal female mice could be replicated in humans.


METHODS
A prospective cohort of 665 Danish pregnant women was recruited in 1988-1989 with offspring follow-up at 20 years. PFOA was measured in serum from gestational week 30. Offspring body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were recorded at follow-up (n = 665), and biomarkers of adiposity were quantified in a subset (n = 422) of participants.


RESULTS
After adjusting for covariates, including maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking, education, and birth weight, in utero exposure to PFOA was positively associated with anthropometry at 20 years in female but not male offspring. Adjusted relative risks comparing the highest with lowest quartile (median: 5.8 vs. 2.3 ng/mL) of maternal PFOA concentration were 3.1 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4, 6.9] for overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and 3.0 (95% CI: 1.3, 6.8) for waist circumference > 88 cm among female offspring. This corresponded to estimated increases of 1.6 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.6, 2.6) and 4.3 cm (95% CI: 1.4, 7.3) in average BMI and waist circumference, respectively. In addition, maternal PFOA concentrations were positively associated with serum insulin and leptin levels and inversely associated with adiponectin levels in female offspring. Similar associations were observed for males, although point estimates were less precise because of fewer observations. Maternal perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) concentrations were not independently associated with offspring anthropometry at 20 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings on the effects of low-dose developmental exposures to PFOA are in line with experimental results suggesting obesogenic effects in female offspring at 20 years of age.
Center for Fetal Programming, Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark. lur@ssi.dk
Thorhallur I
TI
Halldorsson
Dorte
D
Rytter
Line Småstuen
LS
Haug
Bodil Hammer
BH
Bech
Inge
I
Danielsen
Georg
G
Becher
Tine Brink
TB
Henriksen
Sjurdur F
SF
Olsen
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D002210:Caprylates / Q000633:toxicity*; D003718:Denmark; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D002210:Caprylates; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid