Perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: NHANES 2013–2016
Background: Although an alteration in sex hormones has been linked to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in premenopausal women and girls, whether such associations exist in postmenopausal women remains uncertain. Objects: To examine the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and sex hormone l...
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Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-04-01
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Series: | Environment International |
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Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021000325 |
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Article |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Yuqing Wang Ruxianguli Aimuzi Min Nian Yu Zhang Kai Luo Jun Zhang |
spellingShingle |
Yuqing Wang Ruxianguli Aimuzi Min Nian Yu Zhang Kai Luo Jun Zhang Perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: NHANES 2013–2016 Environment International PFAS Sex hormones Testosterone SHBG Postmenopausal women |
author_facet |
Yuqing Wang Ruxianguli Aimuzi Min Nian Yu Zhang Kai Luo Jun Zhang |
author_sort |
Yuqing Wang |
title |
Perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: NHANES 2013–2016 |
title_short |
Perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: NHANES 2013–2016 |
title_full |
Perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: NHANES 2013–2016 |
title_fullStr |
Perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: NHANES 2013–2016 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: NHANES 2013–2016 |
title_sort |
perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: nhanes 2013–2016 |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Environment International |
issn |
0160-4120 |
publishDate |
2021-04-01 |
description |
Background: Although an alteration in sex hormones has been linked to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in premenopausal women and girls, whether such associations exist in postmenopausal women remains uncertain. Objects: To examine the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and sex hormone levels in postmenopausal women. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2016 waves were used. A total of 706 postmenopausal women with information on serum PFAS [perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), pefluorodecanoic acid (PFDA); perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); linear perfluorooctanoate (n-PFOA); linear perfluorooctane sulfonate (n-PFOS); monomethyl branched isomers of PFOS (Sm-PFOS)], sex hormones indicators [e.g., total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)] as well as selected covariates were included. An indicator of circulating free testosterone (FT), and ratio of TT to E2 (TT/E2) were generated. Multiple linear regression accounting for the primary sampling unit, strata, and environmental sampling weights of PFAS was used for association analyses. Effect modification by obesity and type of menopause was explored via stratified analyses as well as the testing of interaction terms. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were conducted to assess these relationships in a multiple PFAS exposure setting. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, total perfluorooctanoate (TPFOA: n-PFOA + Sb-PFOA) and total perfluorooctane sulfonate (TPFOS: n-PFOS + Sm-PFOS), and their linear and branched isomers were positively associated with two androgen indicators (i.e., TT and FT). PCA results revealed that the principal component (PC) composed of n-PFOA was positively associated with ln (TT) [β = 0.09, 95% confidential interval (CI): 0.02, 0.16; per ln-ng/mL increase in exposure], and ln (FT) (β = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.2) in overweight/obese [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2] women, but not in those with BMI < 25 kg/m2. Additionally, among overweight/obese women, PFHxS was positively associated with androgens and negatively with ln (SHBG) (β = -0.06, 95% CI: −0.12, −0.01). The PC composed of Sm-PFOS, n-PFOS, and PFHxS was positively associated with ln (TT) levels among overweight/obese women. Results from BKMR also confirmed the findings on n-PFOA and PFHxS. Conclusions: Our study indicates that n-PFOA and PFHxS were positively associated with levels of several androgen indicators in postmenopausal women, particularly among overweight/obese ones. Given the higher risk of cardiometabolic diseases associated with elevated levels of androgens in postmenopausal women, future studies are needed to explore the potential underlying mechanisms. |
topic |
PFAS Sex hormones Testosterone SHBG Postmenopausal women |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021000325 |
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AT yuqingwang perfluoroalkylsubstancesandsexhormonesinpostmenopausalwomennhanes20132016 AT ruxianguliaimuzi perfluoroalkylsubstancesandsexhormonesinpostmenopausalwomennhanes20132016 AT minnian perfluoroalkylsubstancesandsexhormonesinpostmenopausalwomennhanes20132016 AT yuzhang perfluoroalkylsubstancesandsexhormonesinpostmenopausalwomennhanes20132016 AT kailuo perfluoroalkylsubstancesandsexhormonesinpostmenopausalwomennhanes20132016 AT junzhang perfluoroalkylsubstancesandsexhormonesinpostmenopausalwomennhanes20132016 |
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doaj-c8ea8c661cdd41879a6d41e3c6afa4d32021-02-17T04:10:58ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202021-04-01149106408Perfluoroalkyl substances and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: NHANES 2013–2016Yuqing Wang0Ruxianguli Aimuzi1Min Nian2Yu Zhang3Kai Luo4Jun Zhang5Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaMinistry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, ChinaMinistry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, ChinaMinistry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, ChinaMinistry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding authors at: Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai 200092, China.Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding authors at: Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai 200092, China.Background: Although an alteration in sex hormones has been linked to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in premenopausal women and girls, whether such associations exist in postmenopausal women remains uncertain. Objects: To examine the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and sex hormone levels in postmenopausal women. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2016 waves were used. A total of 706 postmenopausal women with information on serum PFAS [perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), pefluorodecanoic acid (PFDA); perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); linear perfluorooctanoate (n-PFOA); linear perfluorooctane sulfonate (n-PFOS); monomethyl branched isomers of PFOS (Sm-PFOS)], sex hormones indicators [e.g., total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)] as well as selected covariates were included. An indicator of circulating free testosterone (FT), and ratio of TT to E2 (TT/E2) were generated. Multiple linear regression accounting for the primary sampling unit, strata, and environmental sampling weights of PFAS was used for association analyses. Effect modification by obesity and type of menopause was explored via stratified analyses as well as the testing of interaction terms. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were conducted to assess these relationships in a multiple PFAS exposure setting. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, total perfluorooctanoate (TPFOA: n-PFOA + Sb-PFOA) and total perfluorooctane sulfonate (TPFOS: n-PFOS + Sm-PFOS), and their linear and branched isomers were positively associated with two androgen indicators (i.e., TT and FT). PCA results revealed that the principal component (PC) composed of n-PFOA was positively associated with ln (TT) [β = 0.09, 95% confidential interval (CI): 0.02, 0.16; per ln-ng/mL increase in exposure], and ln (FT) (β = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.2) in overweight/obese [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2] women, but not in those with BMI < 25 kg/m2. Additionally, among overweight/obese women, PFHxS was positively associated with androgens and negatively with ln (SHBG) (β = -0.06, 95% CI: −0.12, −0.01). The PC composed of Sm-PFOS, n-PFOS, and PFHxS was positively associated with ln (TT) levels among overweight/obese women. Results from BKMR also confirmed the findings on n-PFOA and PFHxS. Conclusions: Our study indicates that n-PFOA and PFHxS were positively associated with levels of several androgen indicators in postmenopausal women, particularly among overweight/obese ones. Given the higher risk of cardiometabolic diseases associated with elevated levels of androgens in postmenopausal women, future studies are needed to explore the potential underlying mechanisms.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021000325PFASSex hormonesTestosteroneSHBGPostmenopausal women |