title: Perfluoroalkyl substances and thyroid function in older adults.
abstract: Current understanding of the thyroid disruptive properties of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), particularly in aging populations, is limited. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess associations between thyroid function, as measured by serum thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), total thyroxine (T4), and total triiodothyronine (T3), and serum perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in an aging population and (ii) determine if other persistent organic pollutants with thyroid disruptive properties including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) modify such associations. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 87 men and women 55 to 74years of age, without clinically-diagnosed thyroid disease, who resided in upper Hudson River communities in New York. Geometric means (standard deviations) of serum PFOS and PFOA were 31.6 (1.7) ng/mL and 9.17 (1.72) ng/mL, respectively. Multivariable linear regression analyses indicated that one interquartile range difference in PFOS corresponded to 4% and 9% increases in fT4 and T4 respectively. We detected statistical interactions between PFOA and age for effects on fT4 and T4; joint increases in PFOA and age were associated with increases in fT4 and T4, of 3% and 7%, respectively. We also detected statistical interactions between PFOS and total PCBs for the effect on T3 and between PFOA and total PBDEs for the effect on TSH. Our results suggest that PFASs are associated with subtle alterations in thyroid hormone levels in this population, and that these associations are likely to vary by age, and levels of PCBs and PBDEs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
authors.forename: Srishti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
authors.forename: Recai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yucel
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201, USA.
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Seegal
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201, USA.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201, USA.
authors.forename: Kurunthachalam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kannan
authors.affiliation: Division of Translational Medicine, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rej
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA. Electronic address: efitzgerald@albany.edu.
authors.forename: Edward F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D002210:Caprylates / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003634:DDT / Q000097:blood; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood; D013961:Thyroid Gland; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D002210:Caprylates; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D013972:Thyrotropin; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; D003634:DDT; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D013974:Thyroxine
keywords: Older adults; Perfluoroalkyl substances; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Thyroid function; Thyroid hormones