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. 2023 Mar 1:220:115233.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115233. Epub 2023 Jan 5.

Prenatal perfluoroalkyl substances exposure and maternal sex steroid hormones across pregnancy

Zorimar Rivera-Núñez  1 , Carolyn W Kinkade  2 , Leena Khoury  3 , Jessica Brunner  3 , Hannah Murphy  4 , Christina Wang  5 , Kurunthachalam Kannan  6 , Richard K Miller  4 , Thomas G O'Connor  3 , Emily S Barrett  7
Affiliations

Prenatal perfluoroalkyl substances exposure and maternal sex steroid hormones across pregnancy

Zorimar Rivera-Núñez et al. Environ Res. .

Abstract

Background: Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous and persistent environmental contaminants that may act as endocrine disruptors in utero, but the specific endocrine pathways are unknown.

Objective: We examined associations between maternal serum PFAS and sex steroid hormones at three time points during pregnancy.

Methods: Pregnant women participating in the Understanding Pregnancy Signals and Infant Development (UPSIDE) study contributed biospecimens, questionnaire, and medical record data in each trimester (n = 285). PFAS (including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)) were analyzed in second-trimester serum samples by high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Total testosterone [TT], free testosterone [fT], estrone [E1], estradiol [E2], and estriol [E3]) were measured by LC-MS/MS in serum samples from each trimester. Linear mixed models with random intercepts were used to examine associations between log-transformed PFAS concentrations and hormone levels, adjusting for covariates, and stratifying by fetal sex. Results are presented as the mean percentage difference (Δ%) in hormone levels per ln-unit increase in PFAS concentration.

Results: In adjusted models, PFHxS was associated with higher TT (%Δ = 20.0, 95%CI: 1.7, 41.6), particularly among women carrying male fetuses (%Δ = 15.3, 95%CI: 1.2, 30.7); this association strengthened as the pregnancy progressed. PFNA (%Δ = 7.9, 95%CI: 3.4, 12.5) and PFDA (%Δ = 7.2, 95%CI: 4.9, 9.7) were associated with higher fT, with associations again observed only in women carrying male fetuses. PFHxS was associated with higher levels of E2 and E3 in women carrying female fetuses (%Δ = 13.2, 95%CI: 0.5, 29.1; %Δ = 17.9, 95%CI: 3.2, 34.8, respectively). No associations were observed for PFOS and PFOA.

Conclusion: PFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA may disrupt androgenic and estrogenic pathways in pregnancy in a sex-dependent manner.

Keywords: Androgens; Endocrine disruptors; Maternal hormones; PFAS; Pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Percent difference maternal sex steroid hormone levels from longitudinal models in xrelation to ln-unit of PFAS concentrations in UPSIDE mothers by fetal sex, (n=285). Models adjusted for maternal age, race, parity, education, pre pregnancy BMI, and gestational age at sample collection. PFOS: perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, PFOA: perfluorooctanoic acid, PFHxS: perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, PFNA: perfluorononanoic acid, PFDA: perfluorodecanoic acid, T: testosterone, FT: free testosterone, E1: estrone, E2: estradiol, E3: estriol, 95%CI: 96% Confidence Interval
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