Fig. 2: Associations between plasma perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) concentrations and histopathological assessed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and related liver phenotypes in the Teen-LABS (Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery) study (n = 136).

This figure depicts the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for a the association between PFHpA and MASLD severity categories (no MASLD, MASLD without metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), MASH), b Concentration-dependent relationship between PFHpA exposure quantiles and the presence of MASLD (yes/no), c the associations between PFHpA and specific MASLD phenotypes: hepatocellular ballooning (None: No hepatocyte ballooning observed; Few: Few ballooned hepatocytes [1–4 ballooned hepatocytes per 20x field]; Many: Many cells with prominent ballooning [≥5 ballooned hepatocytes per 20x field]), steatosis grade (None, 5–33%, 34–67%), fibrosis (yes/no), and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Activity Score (NAS, None, 1, 2, ≥3). All models are adjusted for the following variables: age (continuous; years), sex (binary; male or female), race (binary; white or other), parental income (categorical; <25,000 United States Dollars (USD) per year, 25,000–74,999 USD per year, ≥75,000 USD per year), and study site (categorical; Baylor College of Medicine [BCM], Cincinnati Children’s Hospital [CIN], Nationwide Children’s Hospital [NCH], University of Alabama at Birmingham [UAB]). PFHpA (ng/mL) concentrations were log2 transformed and interpreted as per doubling of exposure.