Aug 2026· Medicine· Vol 105, pp. e50225· 0 citations· 32 references
Medicine
TL;DR
The inverse link between PFAS co-exposure and asthma incidence persisted across multi-pollutant models, weighted quantile sum regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression models, with PFOS emerging as the primary negative influencer.
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are pervasive organic compounds that have garnered significant attention due to their potential impacts on human health, particularly in relation to asthma, though current evidence remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association between PFAS exposure and adult asthma using a sample of 7106 participants aged 20 years and older from the NHANES survey, spanning 2003 to 2018. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models, subgroup analysis, weighted quantile sum and Bayesian kernel machine regression models were employed to probe the relationship between PFAS and asthma. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, higher log10-transformed perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and PFNA concentrations were significantly associated with lower odds of asthma (PFOS: OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61–0.96; PFNA: OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.60–0.99). The inverse link between PFAS co-exposure and asthma incidence persisted across multi-pollutant models, weighted quantile sum regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression models, with PFOS emerging as the primary negative influencer. In conclusion, this study highlights PFAS exposure is inversely associated with asthma risk in adults.
It is suggested that PFAS may be linked to inflammation and impaired fibrinolysis in midlife women, and none of these associations remained statistically significant after false discovery rate correction.
Yun-Dan Zhang, Wenzhi Zhang, Carrie A. Karvonen-Gutierrez et al.· JACC: Advances· 0 citations
The authors' findings provide genetic evidence suggesting a potential association between PFAS exposure and RA risk, and mechanistic studies are warranted to elucidate the biological pathways underlying the potential relationship between PFAS exposure and RA.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of neurotoxic persistent organic pollutants that may increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, yet their association with schizophrenia (SCZ) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between plasma PFAS levels and the risk of schizophrenia. The concentrations of PFAS in plasma were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). To evaluate the single and combined effects of PFAS exposure on the risk of schizophrenia, we employed multivariable logistic regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS), Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), and generalized weighted quantile sum (gWQS) models. Logistic regression analysis revealed that, compared with the lowest quartile (Q1), the odds ratios (ORs) for PFOS and PFHxS in the highest quartile (Q4) were 0.17 (95% CI:0.09∼0.36) and 0.39 (95% CI:0.21∼0.71), respectively. RCS analysis suggested nonlinear relationships between PFUnDA, PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS and schizophrenia. In the assessment of mixture exposure effects, the BKMR model indicated an overall negative association between PFAS mixtures and schizophrenia risk, and gWQS analysis further identified PFHxS as the component with the highest weight contribution. Additionally, correlations were observed between the levels of PFUnDA, PFOS, and PFHxS and inflammatory indices in patients with schizophrenia. Future large-scale prospective studies combined with toxicological mechanism research are needed to further validate these findings.
Xu-Lu Gao, Tian-Xian Wang, Yu-Yu He et al.· Ecotoxicology and Environmen...· 0 citations
It is suggested that higher plasma PFAS concentrations, particularly HFPO-DA, may be associated with more advanced TNM stage in colorectal cancer and warrant confirmation in larger prospective studies.
Ning Kang, Yang Zhao, Zhi Huang et al.· Frontiers in Toxicology· 1 citation
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants linked to various diseases, yet their association with arterial stiffness remains unclear. Using data from 5209 U.S. adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2018), the association between PFAS exposure and estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) was investigated via multiple statistical approaches. In single-exposure models, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), but not perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), were significantly associated with elevated ePWV. PFOS exhibited a nonlinear dose-response relationship. However, mixture analyses (Weighted Quantile Sum regression and Quantile G-computation models) detected no significant overall mixture effect. Exploratory component rankings and an Extreme Gradient Boosting model interpreted with SHapley Additive exPlanations consistently identified PFOS as the predominant driver. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that oxidative stress (serum uric acid and gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT]) and mineral homeostasis (serum calcium) may serve as potential mediating pathways, although the nonspecific signals for uric acid, and inconsistent GGT findings across PFAS congeners warrant cautious interpretation. Subgroup analyses indicated greater susceptibility in females and partnered individuals. Overall, these findings provide hypothesis-generating evidence for potential pathways and offer exploratory insights for prevention, while also highlighting the need for future studies employing more direct measures.
De-Xiang Xia, Rui Li, Chang Shu et al.· Ecotoxicology and Environmen...· 0 citations
