Environmental factors are strongly implicated in late-onset of inflammatory bowel disease. Here, we investigate whether high levels of perfluoroalkyl substances are associated with (1) late-onset inflammatory bowel disease, and (2) disturbances of the bile acid pool. We further explore the effect of the specific perfluoroalkyl substance perfluorooctanoic acid on intestinal barrier function in murine tissue.Serum levels of perfluoroalkyl substances and bile acids were assessed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in matched samples from patients with ulcerative colitis (The total amount of perfluoroalkyl substances was significantly increased in patients with ulcerative colitis compared to healthy controls and patients with Crohn's disease (Our results demonstrate that perfluoroalkyl substances levels are increased in patients with late-onset ulcerative colitis and may contribute to the disease by inducing a dysfunctional intestinal barrier.
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