Association of perfluoroalkyl substances exposure with reproductive hormone levels in adolescents: By sex status.
Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of common chemicals that ubiquitously exist in wildlife and humans. However, few studies have researched the effect of PFASs on reproductive hormones in adolescents. To provide information in this regard, we recruited 225 Taiwanese adolescents aged 13-15years from 2009 to 2010 to investigate the relationship between serum PFASs (PFOS, PFOA, PFBS, PFDA, PFDoA, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFNA and PFTA) and reproductive hormone concentrations using a cross-sectional study design. Results showed PFOS and PFTA levels were highest among the PFASs, with a median concentrations of 29.9 (interquartile range: 13.0-43.8) ng/mL and 6.0 (0.6-25.9) ng/mL in males, and a median concentrations of 28.8 (14.8-42.6) ng/mL and 4.5 (0.3-18.4) ng/mL in females. After adjustment for confounding factors, nonsignificant associations between PFASs and reproductive hormone were found except for PFNA with ln(estradiol) (β=0.2060, 95%CI: 0.0016, 0.4105). When stratified by sex, more significant associations were found in males than in females. Among males, PFASs were negatively associated with ln(testosterone) level for PFOS (β=-0.0029, 95%CI: -0.0055, -0.0003), PFDA (β=-0.2565, 95%CI: -0.4135, -0.0994), PFHxA (β=-0.3095, 95%CI: -0.5942, -0.0248), and PFNA (β=-0.4233, 95%CI: -0.6998, -0.1467). Furthermore, male participant ln(estradiol) levels were positively associated with PFOA (β=0.0921, 95%CI: 0.0186, 0.1656), and PFHxS (β=0.0462, 95%CI: 0.0020, 0.0905). Among females, a significant relationship was found only for PFDoA with ln(testosterone) (β=-0.0119, 95%CI: -0.0227, -0.0010). In conclusion, this study showed higher levels of PFASs coincide with lower testosterone and higher estradiol levels, and more significant associations of PFASs with reproductive hormone were found in males than in females.
Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Risk Assessment, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Yang
Y
Zhou
Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Risk Assessment, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Li-Wen
LW
Hu
Department of Epidemiology, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis 63104, USA.
Zhengmin Min
ZM
Qian
Department of Epidemiology, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis 63104, USA.
Jen-Jen
JJ
Chang
Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis 63104, USA.
Chris
C
King
Faculty of Health, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia.
Gunther
G
Paul
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12144-3445, USA.
Shao
S
Lin
Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene and Department of Public Health, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Pau-Chung
PC
Chen
Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan. Electronic address: leolee@ntu.edu.tw.
Yungling Leo
YL
Lee
Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Risk Assessment, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: donggh5@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Guang-Hui
GH
Dong
D000293:Adolescent; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol
Adolescents; Estradiol; Perfluoroalkyl substances; Sex; Testosterone