AK Jain et al. JPGN 2024; 79:943–953. Open access: Environmental toxicants modulate disease severity in pediatric metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis

This study correlated environmental toxins and steatotic liver disease. Four hundred and thirty-five children distributed across MASH (n = 293) and MASLD (n = 142), with 304 (69.9%) males. Toxins analyzed: PFAS chemicals included perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid (PFHXS), perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and PBDE included 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47), 2,2′,4,4′,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE99), and 2,2′,4,4′,6-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE100).

Key findings:

• There was an inverse association between PFAS/PBDE mixture and MASH versus MASLD, lobular inflammation (p = 0.026), NAS (p = 0.009, FDR p = 0.04), and log-transformed ALT (p = 0.005, FDR p = 0.025) driven by perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS). 
• PFASs were detected in 290 (67%) samples, showing the pervasive nature of this chemical exposure in children

My take: Not surprisingly, our environmental exposures influence the severity of steatotic liver disease. There is widespread exposure to pollutants and the full toll on our health is not clear.

Related blog posts:

• What We Don’t Know About Toxic Exposures is a Lot and Dangerous
• Prenatal Liver Pollutants: Perfluoroalkyl Substances
• Food Additives and Child Health
• Plastics and Cardiac Outcomes: “Plastics Are Neither As Safe Nor As Inexpensive As They Seem”
• Should we be worried about pthalates?
• What do you know about the ‘exposome’?