Associations of perfluorinated chemical serum concentrations and biomarkers of liver function and uric acid in the US population (NHANES), 2007-2010

Abstract

Background: Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are a group of manmade compounds that are not broken down in the body. Four PFCs (PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA) have been found in the blood of more than 98% of the United States population. Objectives: Our goal was to assess associations between PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA and uric acid, alanine transferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), asparate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphate (ALP), and total bilirubin in 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 combined National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: We used multivariate linear regression and logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity and BMI group, poverty, smoking, and/or alcohol consumption to estimate associations. Trend analysis was performed. Results: PFHxS was associated with ALT. Each quartile of PFOS was statistically associated with total bilirubin [(Q2: OR=1.44, 95% CI 1.12-1.84), (Q3: OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.25-2.18), and (Q4: OR=1.51, 95% CI 1.06-2.15)], with evidence of an increasing trend (. p-value=0.028). PFOA was associated with uric acid, ALT, GGT, and total bilirubin. PFNA was linearly associated with ALT (. p-value <0.001), and there was statistically significant increasing trend (. p-value=0.042). Conclusions: Our analysis found evidence of associations of biomarkers of liver function and uric acid with PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA at levels found in the general U.S. population.