우리나라 청소년의 혈청 중 과불화화합물과 아토피 피부염 간의 연관성: 제4기 국민환경보건 기초조사(2018~2020)

Associations between Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances and Atopic Dermatitis in Korean Adolescents: Korean National Health and Environmental Survey Cycle 4 (2018~2020)

Background: Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are associated with socioeconomic factors such as income and education, and early-life exposure may increase the risk of immune suppression, allergies, and infections. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the association between PFAS and atopic dermatitis (AD) among adolescents in South Korea. Methods: Data on 825 adolescents from the 4th Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) were analyzed, including serum concentrations of five PFAS types: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA). Adolescents diagnosed with AD by a physician and exhibiting skin lesions were classified as current AD patients. Chi-squared test, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression accounting for the complex survey design were used to assess the effects of PFAS concentrations on AD. Results: Significant differences were found between AD patients and non-patients in total IgE levels and in the proportion of households that had remodeled their home or purchased new furniture within six months. PFAS concentrations were associated with age, sex, type of house, house construction year, mother’s education, and seafood intake within one week. Serum PFNA and PFDeA levels were significantly higher in AD patients than in non-patients. Logistic regression showed that PFOS, PFNA, and PFDeA increased AD risk, especially among subjects with lower IgE levels. Conclusions: PFAS exposure significantly affects AD prevalence among Korean adolescents. Given the persistence of PFAS in the body, longitudinal studies are required to assess its health effects during adolescence. Since PFAS persists in the body for a considerable time, implementing PFAS exposure reduction strategies could contribute to improving public health in the long term. Furthermore, follow-up studies are needed to investigate the health effects of PFAS, not only during childhood but also throughout adolescence.