Table 4.
Adjusted* associations between PFAS exposure and targeted metabolites involved in the fatty acid and lipid metabolism in the entire Meta-AIR cohort and stratified by race/ethnicity and obesity.
| PFAS Exposure | Metabolite Outcomes | All samples (N = 102) | Hispanic White (N = 61) | Other Races** (N = 41) | Non-obese (N = 68) | Obese (N = 34) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA# (μg/L) | NEFA¶ (mmol/L) | 2.58E−02 (−3.80E−03, 5.54E−02) | 3.07E−02 (−1.03E−02, 7.17E−02) | −1.41E−02 (−7.39E−02, 4.57E−02) | 3.19E−02 (−3.22E−03, 6.70E−02) | 2.99E−02 (−4.70E−02, 1.07E−01) |
| Glycerol (mg/dL) | 1.06E−01 (3.69E−02, 1.75E−01) | 1.55E−01 (6.88E−02, 2.42E−01) | −1.39E−02 (−1.72E−01, 1.44E−01) | 7.79E−02 (−1.03E−02, 1.66E−01) | 2.19E−01 (9.03E−02, 3.48E−01) | |
| Total non-OH/DC† (μmol/L) | 6.16E−02 (3.40E−04, 1.23E−01) | 6.38E−02 (−1.79E−02, 1.45E−01) | −7.74E−02 (−1.99E−01, 4.44E−02) | 8.73E−02 (9.76E−03, 1.65E−01) | 1.59E−01 (−2.05E−02, 3.39E−01) | |
| Total OH/DC†(μmol/L) | 3.04E−02 (−3.07E−02, 9.15E−02) | −3.08E−02 (−1.07E−01, 4.58E−02) | −2.51E−03 (−1.18E−01, 1.13E−01) | 9.33E−02 (2.26E−02, 1.64E−01) | 7.33E−02 (−1.89E−01, 3.35E−01) | |
| Short-chain non-OH/DC‡(μmol/L) | 6.55E−02 (2.14E−03, 1.29E−01) | 7.35E−02 (−1.12E−02, 1.58E−01) | −7.41E−02 (−2.02E−01, 5.40E−02) | 9.31E−02 (1.22E−02, 1.74E−01) | 1.72E−01 (−9.51E−03, 3.53E−01) | |
| Short-chain OH/DC‡(μmol/L) | 2.59E−02 (−4.56E−02, 9.73E−02) | −8.29E−03 (−1.13E−01, 9.68E−02) | 5.02E−02 (−8.36E−02, 1.84E−01) | 6.18E−02 (−1.82E−03, 1.25E−01) | 1.19E−01 (−1.81E−01, 4.19E−01) | |
| Medium-chain non-OH/DC§(μmol/L) | 5.77E−02 (−2.54E−02, 1.41E−01) | 1.56E−02 (−9.41E−02, 1.25E−01) | −7.80E−02 (−2.64E−01, 1.08E−01) | 7.76E−02 (−2.43E−02, 1.79E−01) | 8.64E−02 (−1.61E−01, 3.33E−01) | |
| Medium-chain OH/DC§(μmol/L) | 4.42E−02 (−3.90E−02, 1.27E−01) | −5.32E−02 (−1.45E−01, 3.84E−02) | −3.26E−02 (−2.28E−01, 1.62E−01) | 1.41E−01 (2.39E−02, 2.57E−01) | 4.81E−02 (−2.08E−01, 3.04E−01) | |
| Long-chain non-OH/DC‖(μmol/L) | 3.14E−02 (−2.28E−02, 8.56E−02) | 2.27E−02 (−4.28E−02, 8.82E−02) | −6.04E−02 (−1.93E−01, 7.22E−02) | 3.71E−02 (−2.89E−02, 1.03E−01) | 1.06E−01 (−5.95E−02, 2.71E−01) | |
| Long-chain OH/DC‖(μmol/L) | 3.87E−02 (−1.64E−02, 9.39E−02) | 1.86E−03 (−7.11E−02, 7.48E−02) | −3.72E−03 (−1.03E−01, 9.53E−02) | 6.63E−02 (−1.11E−03, 1.34E−01) | 1.27E−01 (−6.07E−02, 3.14E−01) | |
| PFOS# (μg/L) | NEFA¶ (mmol/L) | 1.03E−02 (−2.15E−02, 4.20E−02) | 5.23E−03 (−3.81E−02, 4.86E−02) | 3.46E−02 (−2.38E−02, 9.30E−02) | −1.75E−03 (−4.71E−02, 4.36E−02) | 1.63E−02 (−6.57E−02, 9.83E−02) |
| Glycerol (mg/dL) | 9.90E−02 (2.53E−02, 1.73E−01) | 7.82E−02 (−2.17E−02, 1.78E−01) | 1.71E−01 (3.48E−02, 3.07E−01) | 1.11E−01 (2.43E−03, 2.20E−01) | 1.57E−01 (−1.60E−02, 3.30E−01) | |
| Total non-OH/DC† (μmol/L) | 2.34E−02 (−4.27E−02, 8.96E−02) | 4.05E−03 (−8.26E−02, 9.07E−02) | 7.63E−02 (−4.71E−02, 2.00E−01) | 1.00E−02 (−9.20E−02, 1.12E−01) | 1.60E−01 (−2.92E−02, 3.50E−01) | |
| Total OH/DC†(μmol/L) | −1.27E-02 (−7.75E−02, 5.21E−02) | −4.98E−02 (−1.28E−01, 2.80E−02) | 5.12E−02 (−6.29E−02, 1.65E−01) | 2.26E−02 (−7.20E−02, 1.17E−01) | 4.90E−02 (−2.27E−01, 3.25E−01) | |
| Short-chain non-OH/DC‡(μmol/L) | 2.38E−02 (−4.47E−02, 9.22E−02) | 7.52E−03 (−8.29E−02, 9.79E−02) | 7.56E−02 (−5.37E−02, 2.05E−01) | 8.55E−03 (−9.81E−02, 1.15E−01) | 1.77E−01 (−1.25E−02, 3.67E−01) | |
| Short-chain OH/DC‡(μmol/L) | 7.49E−03 (−6.81E−02, 8.31E−02) | −4.41E−02 (−1.51E−01, 6.31E−02) | 1.25E−01 (2.30E−03, 2.48E−01) | 4.72E−02 (−3.42E−02, 1.29E−01) | 7.29E−02 (−2.46E−01, 3.92E−01) | |
| Medium-chain non-OH/DC§(μmol/L) | 3.48E−02 (−5.36E−02, 1.23E−01) | −4.42E−03 (−1.17E−01, 1.09E−01) | 9.63E−02 (−9.00E−02, 2.83E−01) | 4.63E−02 (−8.32E−02, 1.76E−01) | 6.96E−02 (−1.90E−01, 3.30E−01) | |
| Medium-chain OH/DC§(μmol/L) | −2.64E−02 (−1.15E−01, 6.18E−02) | −6.68E−02 (−1.60E−01, 2.66E−02) | −1.01E−02 (−2.08E−01, 1.88E−01) | 1.50E−02 (−1.40E−01, 1.70E−01) | 3.61E−02 (−2.31E−01, 3.04E−01) | |
| Long-chain non-OH/DC‖(μmol/L) | −4.01E−03 (−6.17E−02, 5.36E−02) | −2.94E−02 (−9.66E−02, 3.78E−02) | 6.00E−02 (−7.41E−02, 1.94E−01) | −9.60E−03 (−9.29E−02, 7.37E−02) | 7.64E−02 (−1.04E−01, 2.57E−01) | |
| Long-chain OH/DC‖(μmol/L) | −4.16E−04 (−5.93E−02, 5.85E−02) | −1.48E−02 (−8.97E−02, 6.02E−02) | 5.49E−02 (−4.14E−02, 1.51E−01) | −1.14E−02 (−9.89E−02, 7.61E−02) | 8.65E−02 (−1.20E−01, 2.93E−01) | |
| PFHxS# (μg/L) | NEFA¶ (mmol/L) | 9.55E−03 (−2.07E−02, 3.98E−02) | 5.51E−03 (−3.70E−02, 4.80E−02) | 1.70E−02 (−3.30E−02, 6.71E−02) | 2.03E−03 (−3.56E−02, 3.97E−02) | 3.76E−02 (−5.06E−02, 1.26E−01) |
| Glycerol (mg/dL) | 7.33E−02 (1.80E−03, 1.45E−01) | 3.06E−02 (−6.98E−02, 1.31E−01) | 9.66E−02 (−2.79E−02, 2.21E−01) | 7.54E−02 (−1.61E−02, 1.67E−01) | 3.06E−01 (2.09E−01, 4.03E−01) | |
| Total non-OH/DC† (μmol/L) | 1.91E−02 (−4.40E−02, 8.22E−02) | −2.07E−02 (−1.05E−01, 6.40E−02) | 4.77E−02 (−5.74E−02, 1.53E−01) | −1.35E−02 (−9.81E−02, 7.11E−02) | 2.56E−01 (8.42E−02, 4.28E−01) | |
| Total OH/DC†(μmol/L) | −1.03E−02 (−7.20E−02, 5.15E−02) | −2.04E−02 (−9.80E−02, 5.72E−02) | −1.31E−02 (−1.10E−01, 8.42E−02) | −3.46E−02 (−1.13E−01, 4.34E−02) | 2.04E−01 (−7.27E−02, 4.81E−01) | |
| Short-chain non-OH/DC‡(μmol/L) | 2.5È−02 (−3.94E−02, 9.10E−02) | −1.93E−02 (−1.08E−01, 6.92E−02) | 6.10E−02 (−4.72E−02, 1.69E−01) | −3.66E−03 (−9.22E−02, 8.48E−02) | 2.69E−01 (9.75E−02, 4.41E−01) | |
| Short-chain OH/DC‡(μmol/L) | 2.69E−02 (−4.49E−02, 9.87E−02) | −8.00E−03 (−1.14E−01, 9.80E−02) | 7.83E−02 (−2.98E−02, 1.86E−01) | 1.27E−02 (−5.58E−02, 8.11E−02) | 2.72E−01 (−3.85E−02, 5.82E−01) | |
| Medium-chain non-OH/DC§(μmol/L) | −9.07E−03 (−9.36E−02, 7.55E−02) | −2.14E−02 (−1.32E−01, 8.92E−02) | −1.84E−02 (−1.79E−01, 1.42E−01) | −7.05E−02 (−1.76E−01, 3.54E−02) | 2.09E−01 (−4.97E−02, 4.67E−01) | |
| Medium-chain OH/DC§(μmol/L) | − 5.01E −02 ( −1.34E −01, 3.33E −02) | − 4.27E −02 ( −1.36E −01, 5.03E −02) | − 1.01E −01 ( − 2.58E −01, 5.70E −02) | − 8.91E −02 (− 2.15E −01, 3.65E −02) | 1.87E −01 ( −8.38E −02, 4.58E −01) | |
| Long-chain non-OH/DC‖(μmol/L) | − 1.74E −02 ( −7.22E −02, 3.74E −02) | − 3.46E −02 ( −1.00E −01, 3.09E −02) | − 1.46E −03 (− 1.16E −01, 1.13E −01) | − 3.56E −02 (− 1.04E −01, 3.27E −02) | 1.50E −01 ( −3.28E −02, 3.32E −01) | |
| Long-chain OH/DC‖(μmol/L) | 9.07E −03 ( −4.70E −02, 6.52E −02) | − 1.90E −03 ( −7.55E −02, 7.17E −02) | − 8.78E −03 ( −9.22E −02, 7.46E −02) | − 1.63E −02 ( −8.88E −02, 5.62E −02) | 1.85E −01 ( −1.80E −02, 3.89E −01) |
Linear regression was performed to examine the associations between individual PFAS exposure and targeted metabolites adjusting for covariates including age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, cigarette and e-cigarette moking status in the past week, percent body fat, physical activity levels and dietary covariates including total calorie intake, percent calorie intake from fat and protein and glycemic index. Metabolites as the outcome variables were log transformed in the model. Association estimates β (95% confidence intervals) are presented in the table. Significant associations with p-values < 0.05 are bolded.
non-OH/DC = non-hydroxyl‐/dicarboxyl‐ acylcarnitine. OH/DC = hydroxyl‐/dicarboxyl‐acylcarnitine. Units for acylcarnitines are μmol/L
Short-chain acylcarnitines are sum of concentrations of acylcarnitines with chains of<6 carbons (Supplementary Tables 13–15).
Medium-chain acylcarnitines are sum of concentrations of acylcarnitines with chains of 6 to13 carbons (Supplementary Tables 13–15).
Long-chain acylcarnitines are sum of concentrations of acylcarnitines with chains of 14 carbons and higher (Supplementary Tables 13–15).
NEFA = non-esterified free fatty acids.
PFOA = perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS = perfluorooctane sulfonate and PFHxS = perfluorohexane sulfonic acid. PFAS exposures were standardized on standard deviations of 0.41, 2.58 and 1.62, respectively for PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS.
Other races = Asian, African American, Other/Mixed Races.