Association Among Serum Perfluoroalkyl Chemicals, Glucose Homeostasis and Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents and Adults

Abstract

Objective: Perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) have been used worldwide in a variety of consumer products. The effect of PFCs on glucose homeostasis is not known.

Research design and methods: We examined 474 adolescents and 969 adults with reliable serum measures of metabolic syndrome (MS) profile from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2000 and 2003–2004.

Results: In adolescents, increased serum perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) concentrations were associated with hyperglycemia (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.39–7.16, P < 0.05). Increased serum PFNA concentrations also have favorable associations with serum HDL-C (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.45–0.99, P < 0.05). Overall, increased serum PFNA concentrations were inversely correlated with the prevalence of the MS (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.21–0.64, P < 0.005). In adults, increased serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations were significantly associated with increased β cell function (βcoeff = 0.07±0.03, P < 0.05). Increased serum perfluorooctane sulfate (PFOS) concentrations were associated with increased blood insulin (βcoeff = 0.14±0.05, P < 0.01), HOMA–IR (βcoeff = 0.14±0.05, P < 0.01) and β cell function (βcoeff = 0.15±0.05, P < 0.01). Serum PFOS concentrations were also unfavorably correlated with serum HDL–C (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.15–2.26, P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Serum PFCs were associated with glucose homeostasis and indicators of MS. Further clinical and animal studies are warranted to clarify putative causal relationships.