Serum perfluoroalkyl substances in relation to lipid metabolism in Chinese pregnant women

Laboratory and epidemiologic studies suggested that exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) could affect lipid metabolisms, but data remain limited for pregnant women. A total of 436 pregnant women were selected in Tangshan City, North China. Serum levels of 11 PFASs were determined in the early term of pregnancy. Four lipids (total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)) were measured in the late term of pregnancy. Of 11 PFASs, seven had a detection rate of greater than 70%. After adjusting for potential confounders, natural log-transformed perfluororohexanesulfonic acid (ln PFHxS) was positively associated with TC (β: 0.184, 95% CI: 0.045–0.321), HDL (β: 0.040, 95% CI: 0.001–0.083), and LDL (β: 0.091, 95% CI: 0.001–0.185). Ln perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA) was positively associated with HDL (β: 0.021, 95% CI: 0.001–0.044), while Ln perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) was negatively associated with LDL (β: −0.053, 95% CI: −0.098∼-0.009) and ln perfluorootanoic acid (PFOA) was negatively associated with LDL/HDL (β: −0.042, 95% CI: −0.075∼-0.009). In principal component analysis, the component with a large loading of 31.3% for PFOA, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), PFDA and PFUdA showed a negative association with LDL/HDL. After serum concentrations of PFASs were categorized into quartiles, a higher level of TC was seen in the second quartile of PFOA or PFNA than the first quartile, but a lower LDL/HDL ratio was seen in the fourth quartile of PFOA, PFUdA or PFDA. These results suggested that exposure to PFASs has a potential to influence lipid metabolisms in pregnant women.