TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigation of the associations between low-dose serum perfluorinated chemicals and liver enzymes in US adults
AU - Lin, Chien Yu
AU - Lin, Lian Yu
AU - Chiang, Chih Kang
AU - Wang, Wei Jie
AU - Su, Yi Ning
AU - Hung, Kuan Yu
AU - Chen, Pau Chung
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - Objectives: Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been largely used for years in a variety of products worldwide. However, the toxic effect of PFCs on exposure to the liver in the general population has not yet been determined.Methods: In this study, 2,216 adults (18 years of age or older) were recruited in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 1999-2000 and 2003-2004 to determine the relationship between serum level of PFCs and the levels of liver enzymes. The data were adjusted for all other confounding variants.Results: After performing mathematical analysis, we determined when serum log-perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) increases in one unit, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration (U/l) increases by 1.86 units (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.24-2.48; P0.005), and the serum log-γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) concentration (U/l) is 0.08 unit higher (95% CI, 0.05-0.11; P0.019). The association between PFOA and liver enzymes was more evident in obese subjects, as well as subjects with insulin resistance and/or metabolic syndromes. When dividing the serum PFOA into quartiles in the fully adjusted models in subjects with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m 2, the ALT level trend across the serum PFOA quartiles was significant (P=0.003).Conclusions: On the basis of these data, we conclude that a higher serum concentration of PFOA may cause liver enzymes to increase abnormally in the general population, particularly in obese individuals. Further studies are warranted to clarify the casual relationship between PFCs and these liver enzymes.
AB - Objectives: Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been largely used for years in a variety of products worldwide. However, the toxic effect of PFCs on exposure to the liver in the general population has not yet been determined.Methods: In this study, 2,216 adults (18 years of age or older) were recruited in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 1999-2000 and 2003-2004 to determine the relationship between serum level of PFCs and the levels of liver enzymes. The data were adjusted for all other confounding variants.Results: After performing mathematical analysis, we determined when serum log-perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) increases in one unit, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration (U/l) increases by 1.86 units (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.24-2.48; P0.005), and the serum log-γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) concentration (U/l) is 0.08 unit higher (95% CI, 0.05-0.11; P0.019). The association between PFOA and liver enzymes was more evident in obese subjects, as well as subjects with insulin resistance and/or metabolic syndromes. When dividing the serum PFOA into quartiles in the fully adjusted models in subjects with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m 2, the ALT level trend across the serum PFOA quartiles was significant (P=0.003).Conclusions: On the basis of these data, we conclude that a higher serum concentration of PFOA may cause liver enzymes to increase abnormally in the general population, particularly in obese individuals. Further studies are warranted to clarify the casual relationship between PFCs and these liver enzymes.
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U2 - 10.1038/ajg.2009.707
DO - 10.1038/ajg.2009.707
M3 - Article
C2 - 20010922
AN - SCOPUS:77953232500
SN - 0002-9270
VL - 105
SP - 1354
EP - 1363
JO - American Journal of Gastroenterology
JF - American Journal of Gastroenterology
IS - 6
ER -