Effects of prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl acids on prevalence ofallergic diseases among 4-year-old children

Houman Goudarzi; Chihiro Miyashita; Emiko Okada; Ikuko Kashino; Sumitaka Kobayashi; Chi-Jen Chen; Sachiko Ito; Atsuko Araki; Hideyuki Matsuura; Yoichi M Ito; Reiko Kishi

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2016.05.020

Effects of prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl acids on prevalence ofallergic diseases among 4-year-old children

Environ Int. 2016 Sep:94:124-132. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.05.020. Epub 2016 May 26.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12 West 7 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
² Department of Public Health Sciences, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
³ Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12 West 7 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Center for Clinical Sciences, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Toyama, 1-21-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan.
⁴ Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12 West 7 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Department of Public Health, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Biostatistics, Division of Advanced Medical Sciences, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15 West 7 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
⁶ Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North 12 West 7 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan. Electronic address: rkishi@med.hokudai.ac.jp.

PMID: 27236407
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.05.020

Abstract

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are ubiquitous chemicals extremely resistant and widespread throughout the environment, frequently being detected in human blood samples. Animal studies have revealed that exposure to PFAAs results in immunotoxicity. However, the association between PFAAs, especially long-chain PFAAs, and allergies in humans is not well established. We examined whether prenatal exposure to PFAAs is associated with allergic diseases among 4-year-old children in a large-scale prospective birth cohort in Hokkaido, Japan. In total, 1558 mother-child pairs were included in this study and prenatal levels of eleven PFAAs were measured in maternal plasma samples obtained between 28 and 32weeks of pregnancy by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Participant demographic and characteristic information were obtained from self-administered pre- and postnatal questionnaires and medical birth records. Infant allergies were assessed using the Japanese version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three questionnaire, which was administered 4years post-delivery. Symptoms included eczema, wheezing and rhinoconjunctivitis with a prevalence of 19.0%, 18.7%, and 5.4%, respectively. Associations of PFAA quartiles with allergic outcomes were examined using logistic models. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) in the 4th quartile vs. 1st quartile (Q4 vs. Q1) for total allergic diseases (including at least one allergic outcome) significantly decreased for perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDa) (Q4 vs. Q1 OR: 0.621; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.454, 0.847) and perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) (Q4 vs. Q1 OR: 0.712; 95% CI: 0.524, 0.966) in all children. We obtained similar results when examining the association between PFAAs and eczema. The adjusted OR (Q4 vs. Q1) for wheezing in relation to higher maternal PFHxS levels was 0.728 (95% CI: 0.497, 1.06) in all children. In conclusion, prenatal exposure to long-chain PFAAs, such as PFDoDa and PFTrDA may have an immunosuppressive effect on allergic diseases in 4-year-old children.

Keywords: Allergy; Birth cohorts; Children's health; PFAAs; Prenatal exposure.

MeSH terms

Adult
Alkanesulfonic Acids / adverse effects*
Animals
Child, Preschool
Eczema / epidemiology
Environmental Pollutants / adverse effects*
Fatty Acids / adverse effects*
Female
Fluorocarbons / adverse effects*
Humans
Hypersensitivity / epidemiology*
Japan
Male
Odds Ratio
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects*
Prevalence
Prospective Studies
Respiratory Sounds
Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

Alkanesulfonic Acids
Environmental Pollutants
Fatty Acids
Fluorocarbons