Abstract
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.