Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42855963›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental and molecular mutagenesis2026

Associations of Serum Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) With Epigenetic Age and DNA Methylation in US Airport Firefighters.

Lauren M Ward, Jaclyn M Goodrich, Miriam M Calkins, Shawn C Beitel, Antonia M Calafat, Alberto J Caban-Martinez, Paola Louzado-Feliciano, Julianne Cook Botelho, Melissa Furlong, Randy Krause and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental and molecular mutagenesis, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Lauren M WardDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4095-9342
Jaclyn M GoodrichDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8289-9253
Miriam M CalkinsDivision of Environmental Natural Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Shawn C BeitelDepartment of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1709-0906
Antonia M CalafatNational Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9796-7482
Alberto J Caban-MartinezDepartment of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5960-1308
Paola Louzado-FelicianoDepartment of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Julianne Cook BotelhoNational Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Melissa FurlongDepartment of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Randy KrausePort of Seattle Fire Department, SeaTac, Washington, USA.
Rob MatthisPort of Portland Airport Fire and Rescue, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Jeff HughesOrange County Fire Authority, Irvine, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7676-0739
Jefferey L BurgessDepartment of Community, Environment and Policy, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2362-9509

Funding

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY PRE/POST DOCTORAL RES.TRAININGT32ES007062 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Justin Adam Colacino · 1985 to 2026
$10.5M
Federal Emergency Management Agency EMW-2018-FP-00086NIEHS NIH HHS T32 ES007062NIOSH CDC HHS T42 OH008455
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals used in a variety of consumer and industrial applications for their water- and oil-resistant properties. Firefighters can be exposed to PFAS as part of their job through gear, aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) used to extinguish aircraft and liquid fuel fires, along with exposure through other combustible materials during fire suppression activities. PFAS exposure has been linked to a variety of health conditions including cancer, obesity, reproductive issues, and immunosuppression. Epigenetic modifications may be one mechanism underlying PFAS toxicity. In this study, we used epigenetic indicators to assess association of PFAS serum concentrations with (1) epigenetic aging and (2) DNA methylation at loci within genes related to immune function. Blood leukocyte DNA methylation was quantified via the Infinium EPIC array from 184 participants in the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study involved in aircraft rescue and firefighting, and serum PFAS was measured via on-line solid phase extraction liquid chromatography isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. We observed inverse associations between PFAS concentrations and epigenetic clocks including between serum linear perfluorooctanoic acid (n-PFOA) with four epigenetic clocks (p < 0.05); however, most did not remain significant in sensitivity analyses. Associations (q < 0.1) were observed between perfluorodecanoic acid, n-PFOA, sum of branched perfluorooctane sulfonic acid isomers and differential methylation of specific loci within 34 immune-related genes. Further research can help to better understand the functional impacts of the observed differential methylation on immune health.

Indexed as

DNA MethylationEpigenesis, GeneticFirefightersFluorocarbonsOccupational ExposureAdultAlkanesulfonic AcidsCaprylatesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedAlkanesulfonic AcidsCaprylatesFluorocarbonsperfluorooctane sulfonic acidperfluorooctanoic acidepigeneticsfire serviceimmunotoxicityoccupational health

Identifiers

PMID42855963
PMCPMC13653129

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.