Research into eternal pollutants and their consequences on health is increasing. Per- and polyfluoroalkyls, better known under the name the PFAShave been present in the industry since the 1950s and are found in the composition of many everyday objects, such as household products, cosmetics, non-stick coatings and even certain plastic packaging. Once they accumulate in the environment or the human body, they take a very long time to break down.
Previous research has highlighted their deleterious effects on health, increasing the risk of numerous pathologies such as cardiovascular diseasescancer and chronic kidney disease, but the biological mechanisms underlying this risk are poorly understood.
It is to provide new elements of answers that researchers from the University of Southern California, in the United States, looked into the question. They found that increased exposure to PFAS over 4 years was associated with worsening kidney function due to disruption of the gut microbiota, the bacteria and microorganisms present in the digestive system. Their results are published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.
USC study finds link between PFAS, kidney function and gut health. “We saw that exposure to #PFAS was potentially altering the composition of the microbiome,” says, Hailey Hampson, PhD, postdoctoral fellow and lead author. @JesseAGoodrich @ResearchAtUSC https://t.co/YY15hu0dhm
— Population and Public Health Sciences at USC (@uscpphs) October 17, 2024
Regular exposure to PFAS causes deterioration of kidney function
To arrive at these results, the researchers based themselves on 78 young adults aged an average of 20 years and not suffering from diseases that could have an impact on intestinal health, such as obesity or diabetes. Stool and blood samples were collected to check each person’s gut health and PFAS levels in 2014. Then, in 2018, researchers took samples to measure kidney function.
They found that people who had high levels of PFAS in their blood had lower levels of a bacteria called Lachnospiraceae. The latter helps reduce inflammation and prevent kidney diseasesas the authors of the study explain.
Specifically, participants who had a higher PFAS concentration tended to have lower kidney function in 2018 compared to 2014. The researchers estimate that “changes in the gut microbiome and associated metabolites explained up to 50% of this decrease in function.”
PFAS would modify the composition of the microbiome
“We found that PFAS exposure potentially altered microbiome composition, associated with lower levels of beneficial bacteria and reduced anti-inflammatory metabolites,” summarized in a press release Hailey Hampson, postdoctoral researcher in population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
In the release, Jesse A. Goodrich, assistant professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine and lead author of the study, believes these findings “are an important piece of the puzzle regarding the many health risks of PFAS”and the latter hopes that they will help policy makers “to develop policies to protect the public from exposure to these chemicals.”
“Almost everyone has PFAS in their blood, and these chemicals are associated with a number of negative health effects. But we don’t know of any interventions to reduce PFAS in the body, so we can’t really provide recommendations to help.”regrets researcher Hailey Hampson in the press release.
Sources :
- The potential mediating role of the gut microbiome and metabolites in the association between PFAS and kidney function in young adults: A proof-of-concept study – Science of The Total Environment – 17/10/2024
- USC study finds link between PFAS, kidney function and gut health – University of Southern California – (Press Release) – 17/10/2024
