Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Associations with Pubertal Onset and Serum Reproductive Hormones in a Longitudinal Study of Young Girls in Greater Cincinnati and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), endocrine disrupting chemicals with worldwide exposure, cause changes in mammary gland development in rodents. A few human studies report delay in pubertal events with increasing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure, but to our knowledge none have examined reproductive hormone levels at thelarche.

Methods: In a cohort of Greater Cincinnati (GC) and San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) girls recruited at 6-8 years of age, clinical examinations were conducted annually or semiannually with sequential Tanner staging.

Migraine and its association with pubertal maturation and behavioral traits among adolescent girls.

Objective: To determine if the ages at pubertal milestones are associated with the prevalence of adolescent migraine.

Background: Migraine headaches are a common disease in adolescent girls. Past studies have evaluated the relationship between age of onset of menarche and migraine headache, but none have studied earlier pubertal milestones such as thelarche and pubarche.

Air pollution and the pandemic: Long-term PM exposure and disease severity in COVID-19 patients.

Background And Objective: Ecological studies have suggested an association between exposure to particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM ) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. However, these findings are yet to be validated in individual-level studies.

The Association between Sex Hormones, Pubertal Milestones and Benzophenone-3 Exposure, Measured by Urinary Biomarker or Questionnaire.

Experimental studies have suggested benzophenone-3 (BP-3), a sunscreen ingredient, may have endocrine-disrupting properties. A cohort of girls were recruited at ages 6-7 years and returned semi-annually for pubertal maturation staging, provided blood for serum hormone analyses [estradiol, estrone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S)], and urine to measure BP-3 concentrations. We found a significant negative linear association between amount of reported sunscreen use and testosterone levels at the onset of puberty (N = 157, adjusted β = -0.

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients.

Background: Ecological evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution affects coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. However, no individual-level study has confirmed the association to date.

Methods: We identified COVID-19 patients diagnosed at the University of Cincinnati hospitals and clinics and estimated particulate matter ≤2.

Sex Hormone Phenotypes in Young Girls and the Age at Pubertal Milestones.

Context: The age of pubertal onset is influenced by many variables in young girls. Previous studies have not examined sex hormones longitudinally around the time of breast development and their relationship to pubertal onset.

Objective: We sought to use an unbiased statistical approach to identify phenotypes of sex hormones in young girls and examine their relationship with pubertal milestones.

Complex relationships between perfluorooctanoate, body mass index, insulin resistance and serum lipids in young girls.

Background: Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) has been used extensively in the manufacture of both commercial and household products. PFOA serum concentrations have been associated with adverse health effects, including lower body mass in children and infants.

Objective: To determine if there is an association between serum PFOA concentration and body mass, serum insulin and lipid profile in exposed young girls.