Perfluorinated compounds linked to central precocious puberty in girls during COVID-19: an untargeted metabolomics study

Background and objective: The incidence of central precocious puberty (CPP) in girls increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the impact of perfluorinated endocrine disruptors on CPP through metabolomics analysis in girls from Hainan Province, China.

Methods: Serum samples from 100 girls with CPP and 100 healthy controls were collected. Untargeted metabolomics profiling was performed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap-MS). Differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were screened, and pathway enrichment analysis was conducted.

Results: Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed distinct metabolic profiles between the CPP and control groups. A total of 511 metabolites were identified, including 296 up-regulated DEMs and 255 down-regulated DEMs. Three perfluorinated compounds-PFSM-perfluoroalkyl_sulfonamide_Me, PFSM-FSAA, and PFCA-unsaturated-were significantly upregulated in the CPP group. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested the involvement of multiple pathways in the CPP process regulated by these compounds.

Conclusions: Perfluorinated compounds may promote CPP in girls by interfering with various pathways and affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function. This study highlighted the need for further research and public health measures to address environmental endocrine disruptors.