Associations of serum perfluoroalkyl acid levels with T-helper cell-specific cytokines in children: By gender and asthma status
Journal
Science of the Total Environment
Journal Volume
559
Pages
166-173
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are a group of common chemicals that ubiquitously exist in wildlife and humans. Experimental data suggest that they may alter T-lymphocyte functioning in situ by preferentially enhancing the development of T-helper 2 (TH2)- and inhibiting TH1-lymphocyte development and might increase allergic inflammation, but few human studies have been conducted. To evaluate the association between serum PFAAs concentrations and T-lymphocyte-related immunological markers of asthma in children, and further to assess whether gender modified this association, 231 asthmatic children and 225 non-asthmatic control children from Northern Taiwan were recruited into the Genetic and Biomarker study for Childhood Asthma. Serum concentrations of ten PFAAs and levels of TH1 [interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2] and TH2 (IL-4 and IL-5) cytokines were measured. The results showed that asthmatics had significantly higher serum PFAAs concentrations compared with the healthy controls. When stratified by gender, a greater number of significant associations between PFAAs and asthma outcomes were found in males than in females. Among males, adjusted odds ratios for asthma among those with the highest versus lowest quartile of PFAAs exposure ranged from 2.59 (95% CI: 1.14, 5.87) for the perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) to 4.38 (95% CI: 2.02, 9.50) for perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS); and serum PFAAs were associated positively with TH2 cytokines and inversely with TH1 cytokines among male asthmatics. Among females, no significant associations between PFAAs and TH2 cytokines could be detected. In conclusion, increased serum PFAAs levels may promote TH cell dysregulation and alter the availability of key TH1 and TH2 cytokines, ultimately contributing to the development of asthma that may differentially impact males to a greater degree than females. These results have potential relevance in asthma prevention. ? 2016 Elsevier B.V.
Subjects
Asthma; Children; Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs); T-helper 1 (TH1) cytokines; TH2 cytokines
SDGs
Other Subjects
Body fluids; Lymphocytes; T-cells; Allergic inflammation; Asthma; Children; Cytokines; Healthy controls; Perfluoroalkyl acids; Perfluorooctane sulfonates; Serum concentration; Diseases; gamma interferon; haloacid; immunoglobulin E; interleukin 2; interleukin 4; interleukin 5; perfluoroalkyl acid; perfluorobutanesulfonate; perfluorodecanoic acid; perfluorododecanoic acid; perfluoroheptanoic acid; perfluorohexanesulfonic acid; perfluorohexanoic acid; perfluorononanoic acid; perfluorooctanesulfonic acid; perfluorotetradecanoic acid; unclassified drug; cytokine; fluorocarbon; pollutant; asthma; biomarker; child health; concentration (composition); gender; serum; adolescent; Article; asthma; blood level; child; controlled study; environmental exposure; female; human; major clinical study; male; priority journal; sex difference; Th1 cell; Th2 cell; analysis; asthma; blood; helper cell; metabolism; physiology; pollutant; statistics and numerical data; Taiwan; Taiwan; Asthma; Child; Cytokines; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Fluorocarbons; Humans; Male; Sex Factors; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; Taiwan
Type
journal article