A prospective study of prepregnancy serum concentrations of perfluorochemicals and the risk of gestational diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine preconception serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and six other PFCs in relation to gestational diabetes (GDM) risk.


DESIGN
Prospective cohort with longitudinal follow-up.


SETTING
Not applicable.


PATIENT(S)
Among 501 women recruited upon discontinuing contraception for the purpose of becoming pregnant, 258 (51%) became pregnant and were eligible for the study, of which 28 (11%) reported having physician-diagnosed GDM during follow-up.


INTERVENTION(S)
None.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of GDM associated with each standard deviation (SD) increment of preconception serum PFOA concentration (ng/mL, log-transformed) and six other PFCs were estimated with the use of logistic regression after adjusting for age, prepregnancy body mass index, smoking, and parity conditional on gravidity.


RESULT(S)
Preconception geometric mean (95% CI) PFOA concentrations (in ng/mL) were higher for women with than without GDM (3.94 [3.15-4.93] vs. 3.07 [2.83-3.12], respectively). Each SD increment in PFOA was associated with a 1.87-fold increased GDM risk (adjusted OR 1.86 [95% CI 1.14-3.02]). A slightly increased risk associated with each SD increment for the six other PFCs was observed as well (all ORs >1.0, range 1.06-1.27), although the associations were not statistically significant.


CONCLUSION(S)
Our findings suggested that higher environmentally relevant concentrations of PFOA were significantly associated with an increased risk of GDM. If corroborated, these findings may be suggestive of a possible environmental etiology for GDM.
['Zhang|Cuilin|C|', 'Sundaram|Rajeshwari|R|', 'Maisog|José|J|', 'Calafat|Antonia M|AM|', 'Barr|Dana Boyd|DB|', 'Buck Louis|Germaine M|GM|']
D000328:Adult D015331:Cohort Studies D016640:Diabetes, Gestational D004785:Environmental Pollutants D005260:Female D005466:Fluorocarbons D006801:Humans D015994:Incidence D008137:Longitudinal Studies D008824:Michigan D011247:Pregnancy D011256:Pregnancy Outcome D011446:Prospective Studies D012307:Risk Factors D013781:Texas
gestational diabetes perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) pregnancy