title: Early-Life Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Childhood Metabolic Function.
abstract: Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic chemicals that may persist in the environment and in humans. There is a possible association between early-life PFAS exposure and metabolic dysfunction in later life, but data are limited.
  
  
  
  We studied 665 mother-child pairs in Project Viva, a Boston, Massachusetts-area cohort recruited 1999-2002. We quantified concentrations of PFASs [perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorodecanoate (PFDeA)] in maternal plasma collected at the first prenatal visit (median, 9.6 weeks gestation) and in child plasma from the mid-childhood research visit (median, 7.7 years). We assessed leptin, adiponectin, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in mid-childhood. We fit covariate-adjusted linear regression models and conducted stratified analyses by child sex.
  
  
  
  Children with higher PFAS concentrations had lower HOMA-IR [e.g., -10.1% (95% CI: -17.3, -2.3) per interquartile range increment in PFOA]. This inverse association between child PFAS and HOMA-IR was more pronounced in females [e.g., PFOA: -15.6% (95% CI: -25.4, -4.6) vs. -6.1% (95% CI: -16.2, 5.2) for males]. Child PFAS plasma concentrations were not associated with leptin or adiponectin. Prenatal PFAS plasma concentrations were not associated with leptin, adiponectin, or HOMA-IR in offspring.
  
  
  
  We found no evidence for an adverse effect of early-life PFAS exposure on metabolic function in mid-childhood. In fact, children with higher PFAS concentrations had lower insulin resistance. Citation: Fleisch AF, Rifas-Shiman SL, Mora AM, Calafat AM, Ye X, Luttmann-Gibson H, Gillman MW, Oken E, Sagiv SK. 2017. Early-life exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and childhood metabolic function. Environ Health Perspect 125:481-487; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP303.
authors: Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Abby F
authors: AF
authors: Fleisch
authors: Sheryl L
authors: SL
authors: Rifas-Shiman
authors: Ana M
authors: AM
authors: Mora
authors: Antonia M
authors: AM
authors: Calafat
authors: Xiaoyun
authors: X
authors: Ye
authors: Heike
authors: H
authors: Luttmann-Gibson
authors: Matthew W
authors: MW
authors: Gillman
authors: Emily
authors: E
authors: Oken
authors: Sharon K
authors: SK
authors: Sagiv
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D001900:Boston; D002210:Caprylates / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008660:Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D002210:Caprylates; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; C018959:hexadecafluoro-nonanoic acid; C023036:perfluorooctanoic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; C078626:perflexane