Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in a multitude of processes and products, including nonstick coatings, food wrappers, and fire-fighting foams. These chemicals are environmentally persistent, ubiquitous, and can be detected in the serum of 98% of Americans. Despite evidence that PFASs alter adaptive immunity, few studies have investigated their effects on innate immunity. We investigated the impact of nine environmentally relevant PFASs [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid potassium salt (PFOS-K), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), ammonium perfluoro(2-methyl-3-oxahexanoate) (GenX), 7H-perfluoro-4-methyl-3,6-dioxaoctane sulfonic acid (Nafion byproduct 2), and perfluoromethoxyacetic acid sodium salt (PFMOAA-Na)] on one component of the innate immune response, the neutrophil respiratory burst. The respiratory burst is a key innate immune process by which microbicidal reactive oxygen species (ROS) are rapidly induced by neutrophils in response to pathogens, and defects in the respiratory burst can increase susceptibility to infection. We utilized larval zebrafish, a human neutrophil-like cell line, and primary human neutrophils to ascertain whether PFAS exposure inhibits ROS production in the respiratory burst. We observed that exposure to PFHxA and GenX suppresses the respiratory burst in zebrafish larvae and a human neutrophil-like cell line. GenX also suppresses the respiratory burst in primary human neutrophils. This report is the first to demonstrate that these PFASs suppress neutrophil function and supports the utility of employing zebrafish larvae and a human cell line as screening tools to identify chemicals that may suppress human immune function. 

Datasets are raw results collected from biological experiments. Detailed methods are provided in the research article "Legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances suppress the neutrophil respiratory burst" (https://doi.org/10.1080/1547691X.2023.2176953). A summary of methods is provided in the README file.

To view these data, Microsoft Excel is highly recommended to ensure proper formatting of the .xlsx files.