P0211 - Perfluorinated Chemicals and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in Obese Children: An Ancillary Pilot Investigation

BACKGROUND
Obese children are at high risk of several morbidities, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) are a recently recognized class of ‘forever chemicals’ that may contribute to disease risk. The aim of this study was to conduct a pilot investigation of a subset of available biospecimens from obese children with a focus on PFAS with respect to established measures of cardiometabolic disease risks.

Methods:
Obese children were enrolled in two separate studies at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (an urban population in Columbus, Ohio) and at Kentucky Children’s Hospital (a rural population in Lexington, KY). Measurement of several markers of cardiometabolic disease risks were determined. Archived blood serum samples from these two groups (25 from each site) were processed for measurement of PFAS. Statistical analyses of the measured values were conducted using t-tests (between-group comparisons) and Pearson’s correlation analyses (bivariate relationships).

Results:
Obese patients had several sub-clinical abnormalities including hyperlipidemia, elevated blood pressure, inflammation, and impaired insulin sensitivity. Of the 8 perfluorinated substances measured at least two molecules were detectable in every subject studied but distinctive profiles were observed between subjects with PFOS and PFOA being the most prevalent. The subjects from Ohio had a higher level of total PFAS (nearly two-fold) and the profile of individual chemicals were different between the two groups. Among the 50 subjects studied PFAS concentrations were statistically linked to blood LDL concentration, elevations in systolic bp, and clinical stage of hypertension. No significant links were observed with glucose metabolism, inflammation or vascular injury.
CONCLUSIONS
We conducted an ancillary study of well-characterized samples from obese children; our study provides evidence that children are widely exposed to PFAS and exposure levels can be linked to geographic region, since urban Ohio children had two-fold higher levels than rural Kentucky children. Total PFAS, and in some cases specific PF chemicals, were found to be linked to hypercholesterolemia and hypertension in obese children from both regions, whereas other markers of vascular injury, inflammation, and glucose metabolism were not related