Tetrachloroethylene Tied to Risk for Significant Liver Fibrosis

THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to the volatile organic compound tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is associated with a higher risk for significant liver fibrosis, according to a study published online Oct. 16 in Liver International.

Yinan Su, from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2017 to 2020) to assess the association of PCE with significant liver fibrosis (liver stiffness measurement >8.2 kPa measured by vibration-controlled transient elastography).

The researchers found that of 1,614 adults, 116 had detectable PCE. The median concentration of PCE was 0.09 ng/mL. Detectable PCE was significantly and independently associated with significant liver fibrosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.17). The association between PCE and significant liver fibrosis was dose-dependent (aOR per 1 ng/mL increase, 5.13). For detectable versus undetectable PCE, the absolute risk difference in the predicted probability of significant liver fibrosis was 27.7 percent.

“This study, the first to examine the association between PCE levels in humans and significant liver fibrosis, underscores the underreported role environmental factors may play in liver health,” coauthor Brian P. Lee, M.D., also from University of Southern California, said in a statement. “The findings suggest that exposure to PCE may be the reason why one person develops liver disease while someone with the exact same health and demographic profile does not.”  

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