Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Glucose Homeostasis in Youth

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jesse A Goodrich, University of Southern California; Tanya L Alderete, University of Colorado Boulder; Brittney O Baumert, University of Southern California; Kiros Berhane, Columbia University; Zhanghua Chen, University of Southern California; Frank D Gilliland, University of Southern California; Michael Goran, Keck School of Medicine; Xin Hu, Emory University; Dean Jones, Emory University; Katerina Margetaki, University of Southern California; Sarah Rock, University of Southern California; Nikoa Stratakis, University of Southern California; Damaskini Valvi, Icahn Sch Med Mt Sinai; Douglas Walker, Emory University; David Conti, University of Southern California; Leda Chatzi, University of Southern California
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-09-01
• Publisher: US DEPT HEALTH HUMAN SCIENCES PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted.
• License: Creative Commons Universal : Public Domain Dedication
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP9200
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
• Volume: 129
• Issue: 9
• Start Page: 97002
• End Page: 97002
• Grant/Funding Information: Additional funding from NIEHS supported J.A.G. (T32-ES013678), T.L.A. (R00-ES027853), Z.C. (R00-ES027870), D.V. (R21-ES029328 and P30-ES023515), D.V.C. (P01-CA196569, P30-ES007048 and P30-CA014089), and L.C. (R01-ES030691, R01-ES030364, R21-ES028903, R21-ES029681, and P30-ES007048).; The research leading to these results has received funding from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) R01-ES029944.
• Keywords: Toxicology; Science & Technology; BETA-CELL FUNCTION; SENSITIVITY-ANALYSIS; PRENATAL EXPOSURE; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Environmental Sciences; LONGITUDINAL ASSOCIATIONS; ADIPOSITY; ALPHA; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; PUBERTAL CHANGES; CHILDHOOD; AIR-POLLUTION; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; INSULIN SENSITIVITY

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a prevalent class of persistent pollutants, may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVE: We examined associations between PFAS exposure and glucose metabolism in youth. METHODS: Overweight/obese adolescents from the Study of Latino Adolescents at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes (SOLAR; n = 310) participated in annual visits for an average of 3:3 ± 2:9 y. Generalizability of findings were tested in young adults from the Southern California Children’s Health Study (CHS; n = 135) who participated in a clinical visit with a similar protocol. At each visit, oral glucose tolerance tests were performed to estimate glucose metabolism and b-cell function via the insulinogenic index. Four PFAS were measured at baseline using liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry; high levels were defined as concentrations >66th percentile. RESULTS: In females from the SOLAR, high perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) levels (≥2:0 ng=mL) were associated with the development of dysre-gulated glucose metabolism beginning in late puberty. The magnitude of these associations increased postpuberty and persisted through 18 years of age. For example, postpuberty, females with high PFHxS levels had 25-mg=dL higher 60-min glucose (95% CI: 12, 39 mg=dL; p < 0:0001), 15-mg=dL higher 2-h glucose (95% CI: 1, 28 mg=dL; p = 0:04), and 25% lower b-cell function (p = 0:02) compared with females with low levels. Results were largely consistent in the CHS, where females with elevated PFHxS levels had 26-mg=dL higher 60-min glucose (95% CI: 6:0, 46 mg=dL; p = 0:01) and 19-mg=dL higher 2-h glucose, which did not meet statistical significance (95% CI: –1, 39 mg=dL; p = 0:08). In males, no consistent associations between PFHxS and glucose metabolism were observed. No consistent associations were observed for other PFAS and glucose metabolism. DISCUSSION: Youth exposure to PFHxS was associated with dysregulated glucose metabolism in females, which may be due to changes in b-cell func-tion. These associations appeared during puberty and were most pronounced postpuberty. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9200.