Perfluoroalkyl substances and lipid concentrations in plasma during pregnancy among women in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 62; pp. 104 - 112
• Main Authors: Starling, Anne P., Engel, Stephanie M., Whitworth, Kristina W., Richardson, David B., Stuebe, Alison M., Daniels, Julie L., Haug, Line Småstuen, Eggesbø, Merete, Becher, Georg, Sabaredzovic, Azemira, Thomsen, Cathrine, Wilson, Ralph E., Travlos, Gregory S., Hoppin, Jane A., Baird, Donna D., Longnecker, Matthew P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Alkanesulfonic Acids - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Elevated; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Exposure; Female; Fluorocarbons - blood; Humans; Linear Models; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Lipoproteins; Medical sciences; MoBa; Mothers; Norway; Perfluoroalkyl substances; Perfluoroalkyls; Perfluorooctane sulfonate; Perfluorooctanoic acid; PFA; Pregnancy; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Sulfonates; The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study; Toxicology; Norway; Europe; PFASs; MoBa; PFHxS; CI; PFUnDA; DAG; IQR; PFNA; PFOA; LOQ; The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study; HDL; Perfluorooctanoic acid; LDL; MBRN; PFDA; Perfluorooctane sulfonate; Perfluoroalkyl substances; PFHpS; BMI; PFOS; Human; Cholesterolemia; Organic perhalocompound; Epidemiology; Blood plasma; Pregnancy; Concentration measurement; Lipemia; Mother; Cohort study; Adult; Female; Fluorine Organic compounds; Woman; Child; Public health; perfluorohexane sulfonate; Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study; high-density lipoprotein; directed acyclic graph; perfluoroundecanoic acid; Medical Birth Registry of Norway; perfluorononanoic acid; perfluorodecanoic acid; perfluoroheptane sulfonate; inter-quartile range; body mass index; low-density lipoprotein; confidence interval; limit of quantification
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.10.004

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widespread and persistent environmental pollutants. Previous studies, primarily among non-pregnant individuals, suggest positive associations between PFAS levels and certain blood lipids. If there is a causal link between PFAS concentrations and elevated lipids during pregnancy, this may suggest a mechanism by which PFAS exposure leads to certain adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia. This cross-sectional analysis included 891 pregnant women enrolled in the Norwegian Mother and Child (MoBa) Cohort Study in 2003–2004. Non-fasting plasma samples were obtained at mid-pregnancy and analyzed for nineteen PFASs. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured in plasma. Linear regression was used to quantify associations between each PFAS exposure and each lipid outcome. A multiple PFAS model was also fitted. Seven PFASs were quantifiable in >50% of samples. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) concentration was associated with total cholesterol, which increased 4.2mg/dL per inter-quartile shift (95% CI=0.8, 7.7) in adjusted models. Five of the seven PFASs studied were positively associated with HDL cholesterol, and all seven had elevated HDL associated with the highest quartile of exposure. Perfluoroundecanoic acid showed the strongest association with HDL: HDL increased 3.7mg/dL per inter-quartile shift (95% CI=2.5, 4.9). Plasma concentrations of PFASs were positively associated with HDL cholesterol, and PFOS was positively associated with total cholesterol in this sample of pregnant Norwegian women. While elevated HDL is not an adverse outcome per se, elevated total cholesterol associated with PFASs during pregnancy could be of concern if causal. •We examined associations between perfluoroalkyl substances and lipids in pregnancy.•Plasma PFOS was positively associated with total cholesterol among pregnant women.•Seven perfluoroalkyl substances were positively associated with HDL cholesterol.•Multiple pollutant models reduced all associations with HDL except PFUnDA.•Cholesterol findings may suggest a possible mechanism linking PFOS to preeclampsia.