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Pili MP, Cagliero L, Panichi V, Bordoni M, Pansarasa O, Cremaschi G, Tonga EB, Cappelletti F, Provenzi L. Exposure to pollution during the first thousand days and telomere length regulation: A literature review. Environ Res 2024; 249:118323. [PMID: 38336161 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker for cellular senescence and TL erosion is predictive of the risk for age-related diseases. Despite being genetically determined at birth, TL may be susceptible to modifications through epigenetic mechanisms. Pollutant agents are considered one of the major threats to both human and planetary health. Their ability to cross the placental barrier and induce oxidative stress in fetal cells is particularly concerning and it may be associated with early TL erosion. In consideration of the timely relevance of this topic, we conducted a literature review on the impact of prenatal exposure to pollutant agents on newborn TL. The search yielded a total of 1099 records, of which only 32 met the inclusion criteria for the review. These criteria included the participation of human subjects, a longitudinal design or collection of longitudinal data, reporting of original TL data, and a focus on exposure to pollutant agents. The majority of the studies reported a significant inverse association between prenatal exposure to pollutant agents and TL. Furthermore, the second trimester of pregnancy emerged as a special sensitive period for the occurrence of pollutant agent-driven TL modifications. Sex differences were inconsistently reported across studies. This review contributes to highlighting biochemical pathways for the threats of environmental pollution to human health. Future research is warranted to further highlight potential buffering mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Paola Pili
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Strada Nuova 65, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Lucia Cagliero
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Strada Nuova 65, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Virginia Panichi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Strada Nuova 65, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Matteo Bordoni
- Cellular Models and Neuroepigenetics Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Orietta Pansarasa
- Cellular Models and Neuroepigenetics Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Cremaschi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Strada Nuova 65, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elgin Bilge Tonga
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Strada Nuova 65, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Livio Provenzi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Strada Nuova 65, 27100, Pavia, Italy; Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, via Mondino 2, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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Jiang F, Zhao J, Sun J, Chen W, Zhao Y, Zhou S, Yuan S, Timofeeva M, Law PJ, Larsson SC, Chen D, Houlston RS, Dunlop MG, Theodoratou E, Li X. Impact of ambient air pollution on colorectal cancer risk and survival: insights from a prospective cohort and epigenetic Mendelian randomization study. EBioMedicine 2024; 103:105126. [PMID: 38631091 PMCID: PMC11035091 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigates the associations between air pollution and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and survival from an epigenomic perspective. METHODS Using a newly developed Air Pollutants Exposure Score (APES), we utilized a prospective cohort study (UK Biobank) to investigate the associations of individual and combined air pollution exposures with CRC incidence and survival, followed by an up-to-date systematic review with meta-analysis to verify the associations. In epigenetic two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses, we examine the associations between genetically predicted DNA methylation related to air pollution and CRC risk. Further genetic colocalization and gene-environment interaction analyses provided different insights to disentangle pathogenic effects of air pollution via epigenetic modification. FINDINGS During a median 12.97-year follow-up, 5767 incident CRC cases among 428,632 participants free of baseline CRC and 533 deaths in 2401 patients with CRC were documented in the UK Biobank. A higher APES score was associated with an increased CRC risk (HR, 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.06; P = 0.016) and poorer survival (HR, 1.13, 95% CI = 1.03-1.23; P = 0.010), particularly among participants with insufficient physical activity and ever smokers (Pinteraction > 0.05). A subsequent meta-analysis of seven observational studies, including UK Biobank data, corroborated the association between PM2.5 exposure (per 10 μg/m3 increment) and elevated CRC risk (RR,1.42, 95% CI = 1.12-1.79; P = 0.004; I2 = 90.8%). Genetically predicted methylation at PM2.5-related CpG site cg13835894 near TMBIM1/PNKD and cg16235962 near CXCR5, and NO2-related cg16947394 near TMEM110 were associated with an increased CRC risk. Gene-environment interaction analysis confirmed the epigenetic modification of aforementioned CpG sites with CRC risk and survival. INTERPRETATION Our study suggests the association between air pollution and CRC incidence and survival, underscoring the possible modifying roles of epigenomic factors. Methylation may partly mediate pathogenic effects of air pollution on CRC, with annotation to epigenetic alterations in protein-coding genes TMBIM1/PNKD, CXCR5 and TMEM110. FUNDING Xue Li is supported by the Natural Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of Zhejiang Province (LR22H260001), the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 82204019) and Healthy Zhejiang One Million People Cohort (K-20230085). ET is supported by a Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellowship (C31250/A22804). MGD is supported by the MRC Human Genetics Unit Centre Grant (U127527198).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Jiang
- Department of Big Data in Health Science, School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhui Zhao
- Department of Big Data in Health Science, School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Big Data in Health Science, School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenxi Chen
- Department of Big Data in Health Science, School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuyuan Zhao
- Department of Big Data in Health Science, School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Siyun Zhou
- Department of Big Data in Health Science, School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- Unit of Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Timofeeva
- Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS), Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography Research Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Philip J Law
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Susanna C Larsson
- Unit of Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Unit of Medical Epidemiology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Richard S Houlston
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Malcolm G Dunlop
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Evropi Theodoratou
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Big Data in Health Science, School of Public Health and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
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Mishra S, Stukken CVD, Drury S, Nawrot TS, Martens DS. Prenatal air pollution exposure in relation to the telomere-mitochondrial axis of aging at birth: A systematic review. Environ Res 2024; 244:117990. [PMID: 38141917 PMCID: PMC10922941 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are central markers of vital biological mechanisms, including cellular aging. Prenatal air pollution exposure may impact molecular markers of aging leading to adverse health effects. OBJECTIVE To perform a systematic review on human population-based studies investigating the association between prenatal air pollution exposure and TL or mtDNA content at birth. METHODOLOGY Searches were undertaken on PubMed and Web of Science until July 2023. The framework of the review was based on the PRISMA-P guidelines. RESULTS Nineteen studies studied prenatal air pollution and TL or mtDNA content at birth. Studies investigating TL or mtDNA content measured at any other time or did not evaluate prenatal air pollution were excluded. Twelve studies (including 4381 participants with study sample range: 97 to 743 participants) investigated newborn TL and eight studies (including 3081 participants with study sample range: 120 to 743 participants) investigated mtDNA content at birth. Seven studies focused on particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and newborn TL of which all, except two, showed an inverse association in at least one of the gestational trimesters. Of the eight studies on mtDNA content, four focused on PM2.5 air pollution with two of them reporting an inverse association. For PM2.5 exposure, observations on trimester-specific effects were inconsistent. Current literature showing associations with other prenatal air pollutants (including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone) is inconsistent. CONCLUSION This review provides initial evidence that prenatal PM2.5 exposure impacts the telomere-mitochondrial axis of aging at birth. The current evidence did not reveal harmonious observations for trimester-specific associations nor showed consistent effects of other air pollutants. Future studies should elucidate the specific contribution of prenatal exposure to pollutants other than PM in relation to TL and mtDNA content at birth, and the potential later life health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shradha Mishra
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | - Stacy Drury
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dries S Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
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Bakulski KM, Blostein F, London SJ. Linking Prenatal Environmental Exposures to Lifetime Health with Epigenome-Wide Association Studies: State-of-the-Science Review and Future Recommendations. Environ Health Perspect 2023; 131:126001. [PMID: 38048101 PMCID: PMC10695268 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prenatal environment influences lifetime health; epigenetic mechanisms likely predominate. In 2016, the first international consortium paper on cigarette smoking during pregnancy and offspring DNA methylation identified extensive, reproducible exposure signals. This finding raised expectations for epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of other exposures. OBJECTIVE We review the current state-of-the-science for DNA methylation associations across prenatal exposures in humans and provide future recommendations. METHODS We reviewed 134 prenatal environmental EWAS of DNA methylation in newborns, focusing on 51 epidemiological studies with meta-analysis or replication testing. Exposures spanned cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, air pollution, dietary factors, psychosocial stress, metals, other chemicals, and other exogenous factors. Of the reproducible DNA methylation signatures, we examined implementation as exposure biomarkers. RESULTS Only 19 (14%) of these prenatal EWAS were conducted in cohorts of 1,000 or more individuals, reflecting the still early stage of the field. To date, the largest perinatal EWAS sample size was 6,685 participants. For comparison, the most recent genome-wide association study for birth weight included more than 300,000 individuals. Replication, at some level, was successful with exposures to cigarette smoking, folate, dietary glycemic index, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 10 μ m and < 2.5 μ m , nitrogen dioxide, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, electronic waste, PFAS, and DDT. Reproducible effects of a more limited set of prenatal exposures (smoking, folate) enabled robust methylation biomarker creation. DISCUSSION Current evidence demonstrates the scientific premise for reproducible DNA methylation exposure signatures. Better powered EWAS could identify signatures across many exposures and enable comprehensive biomarker development. Whether methylation biomarkers of exposures themselves cause health effects remains unclear. We expect that larger EWAS with enhanced coverage of epigenome and exposome, along with improved single-cell technologies and evolving methods for integrative multi-omics analyses and causal inference, will expand mechanistic understanding of causal links between environmental exposures, the epigenome, and health outcomes throughout the life course. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12956.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Freida Blostein
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Stephanie J. London
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Ren C, Yan R, Yuan Z, Yin L, Li H, Ding J, Wu T, Chen R. Maternal exposure to sunlight-irradiated graphene oxide induces neurodegeneration-like symptoms in zebrafish offspring through intergenerational translocation and genomic DNA methylation alterations. Environ Int 2023; 179:108188. [PMID: 37690221 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The physiochemical properties of graphene oxide may be affected by sunlight irradiation. However, the underlying mechanisms that alter the properties and subsequent intergenerational effects are not sufficiently investigate. Epigenetics is an early sensitive marker for the intergenerational effects of nanomaterial exposure due to the epigenetic memory. In this study, we investigate changes in the physicochemical properties and the intergenerational effects of maternal exposure to simulated sunlight-irradiated polyethyleneimine-functionalized graphene oxide (SL-PEI-GO). Results show that the physicochemical properties of polyethyleneimine-functionalized graphene oxide (PEI-GO) can be altered significantly by the oxidation of carbon atoms with unpaired electrons present in the defects and on the edges of PEI-GO by sunlight. First, the positive charges, sharp edges, defects and disordered structures of SL-PEI-GO make it translocate from maternal zebrafish to offspring, thus catalyzing the production of reactive oxygen species and damaging mitochondria directly. In addition, changes in DNA methylation reduce the expression of protocadherin1a, protocadherin19 and cadherin4, thus destroying cell membrane integrity, cell adhesion and Ca2+ binding. The alteration of DNA methylation induced by maternal exposure activates the Ca2+-CaMKK-brsk2a pathway, which catalyzes the phosphorylation of Tau and eventually results in the appearance of neurodegeneration-like symptoms, including the loss of neurons and neurobehavioral disorders. This study demonstrates that maternal exposure to SL-PEI-GO induces clear neurodegeneration-like symptoms in offspring through both the intergenerational translocation of nanomaterials and differential DNA methylation. These findings may provide new insights into the health risks of nanomaterials altered by nature conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoxiu Ren
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Department of Toxicology and Sanitary chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Ruyu Yan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Department of Toxicology and Sanitary chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Ziyi Yuan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Department of Toxicology and Sanitary chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Lijia Yin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Department of Toxicology and Sanitary chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Hongji Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Department of Toxicology and Sanitary chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jing Ding
- Tianjin Environmental Meteorological Center, Tianjin 300074, China
| | - Tao Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Enze Biomass Fine Chemicals, College of New Materials and Chemical Engineering, Beijing institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China.
| | - Rui Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Department of Toxicology and Sanitary chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
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Santos JX, Sampaio P, Rasga C, Martiniano H, Faria C, Café C, Oliveira A, Duque F, Oliveira G, Sousa L, Nunes A, Vicente AM. Evidence for an association of prenatal exposure to particulate matter with clinical severity of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Environ Res 2023; 228:115795. [PMID: 37028534 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Early-life exposure to air pollutants, including ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM2.5 or PM10, depending on diameter of particles), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) has been suggested to contribute to the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, we used air quality monitoring data to examine whether mothers of children with ASD were exposed to high levels of air pollutants during critical periods of pregnancy, and if higher exposure levels may lead to a higher clinical severity in their offspring. We used public data from the Portuguese Environment Agency to estimate exposure to these pollutants during the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy, full pregnancy and first year of life of the child, for 217 subjects with ASD born between 2003 and 2016. These subjects were stratified in two subgroups according to clinical severity, as defined by the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule (ADOS). For all time periods, the average levels of PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 to which the subjects were exposed were within the admissible levels defined by the European Union. However, a fraction of these subjects showed exposure to levels of PM2.5 and PM10 above the admissible threshold. A higher clinical severity was associated with higher exposure to PM2.5 (p = 0.001), NO2 (p = 0.011) and PM10 (p = 0.041) during the first trimester of pregnancy, when compared with milder clinical severity. After logistic regression, associations with higher clinical severity were identified for PM2.5 exposure during the first trimester (p = 0.002; OR = 1.14, 95%CI: 1.05-1.23) and full pregnancy (p = 0.04; OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 1.00-1.15) and for PM10 (p = 0.02; OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 1.01-1.14) exposure during the third trimester. Exposure to PM is known to elicit neuropathological mechanisms associated with ASD, including neuroinflammation, mitochondrial disruptions, oxidative stress and epigenetic changes. These results offer new insights on the impact of early-life exposure to PM in ASD clinical severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Xavier Santos
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016, Lisboa, Portugal; BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Pedro Sampaio
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016, Lisboa, Portugal; BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Célia Rasga
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016, Lisboa, Portugal; BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Hugo Martiniano
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016, Lisboa, Portugal; BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Clarissa Faria
- Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo, Serviço Do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Cátia Café
- Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo, Serviço Do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Pediatrics and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Oliveira
- Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo, Serviço Do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Pediatrics and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Frederico Duque
- Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo, Serviço Do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Pediatrics and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Guiomar Oliveira
- Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo, Serviço Do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Pediatrics and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Lisete Sousa
- Departamento de Estatística e Investigação Operacional e Centro de Estatística e Aplicações, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Ana Nunes
- BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal; Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Astrid Moura Vicente
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016, Lisboa, Portugal; BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
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Kuo CL, Liu R, Godoy LDC, Pilling LC, Fortinsky RH, Brugge D. Association between Residential Exposure to Air Pollution and Incident Coronary Heart Disease Is Not Mediated by Leukocyte Telomere Length: A UK Biobank Study. Toxics 2023; 11:489. [PMID: 37368589 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11060489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Higher air pollution exposure and shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) are both associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), and share plausible mechanisms, including inflammation. LTL may serve as a biomarker of air pollution exposure and may be intervened with to reduce the risk of CHD. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to test the mediation effect of LTL in the relationship between air pollution exposure and incident CHD. Using the UK Biobank (UKB) data (n = 317,601), we conducted a prospective study linking residential air pollution exposure (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, NOx) and LTL to incident CHD during a mean follow-up of 12.6 years. Cox proportional hazards models and generalized additive models with penalized spline functions were used to model the associations of pollutant concentrations and LTL with incident CHD. We found non-linear associations of air pollution exposure with LTL and CHD. Pollutant concentrations in the lower range were decreasingly associated with longer LTL and reduced risk of CHD. The associations between lower pollutant concentrations and reduced risk of CHD, however, were minimally mediated by LTL (<3%). Our findings suggest that air pollution influences CHD through pathways that do not involve LTL. Replication is needed with improved measurements of air pollution that more accurately assesses personal exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ling Kuo
- The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
- UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Health Sciences, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT 06825, USA
| | - Lucas da Cunha Godoy
- The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Luke C Pilling
- Epidemiology and Public Health Group, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Richard H Fortinsky
- UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Doug Brugge
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
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Zhang X, Zhang F, Gao Y, Zhong Y, Zhang Y, Zhao G, Zhu S, Zhang X, Li T, Chen B, Han A, Wei J, Zhu W, Li D. Synergic effects of PM 1 and thermal inversion on the incidence of small for gestational age infants: a weekly-based assessment. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2023:10.1038/s41370-023-00542-0. [PMID: 37019981 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00542-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The synergic effects of thermal inversion (TI) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤1 μm (PM1) exposure and incidence of small for gestational age (SGA) was not clear. OBJECTIVE We aimed to explore the independent effects of prenatal TI and PM1 exposure on incidence of SGA and their potential interactive effects. METHODS A total of 27,990 pregnant women who delivered in Wuhan Children's Hospital from 2017 to 2020 were included. The daily mean concentration of PM1 was obtained from ChinaHighAirPollutants (CHAP) and matched with the residential address of each woman. Data on TI was derived from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The independent effects of PM1 and TI exposures on SGA in each gestational week were estimated by the distributed lag model (DLM) nested in Cox regression model, and the potential interactive effects of PM1 and TI on SGA were investigated by adapting the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) index. RESULTS Per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM1 was associated with an increase in the risk of SGA at 1-3 and 17-23 gestational weeks, with the strongest effect at the first gestational week (HR = 1.043, 95%CI: 1.008, 1.078). Significant links between one day increase of TI and SGA were found at the 1-4 and 13-23 gestational weeks and the largest effects were observed at the 17th gestational week (HR = 1.018, 95%CI: 1.009, 1.027). Synergistic effects of PM1 and TI on SGA were detected in the 20th gestational week, with RERI of 0.208 (95%CI: 0.033,0.383). IMPACT STATEMENT Both prebirth PM1 and TI exposure were significantly associated with SGA. Simultaneous exposure to PM1 and TI might have synergistic effect on SGA. The second trimester seems to be a sensitive window of environmental and air pollution exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xupeng Zhang
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Faxue Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Department of Neonatology, Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, 222006, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, China
| | - Gaichan Zhao
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shijie Zhu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Tianzhou Li
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Bingbing Chen
- Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Aojing Han
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA.
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Dejia Li
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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Feil D, Abrishamcar S, Christensen GM, Vanker A, Koen N, Kilanowski A, Hoffman N, Wedderburn CJ, Donald KA, Kobor MS, Zar HJ, Stein DJ, Hüls A. DNA methylation as a potential mediator of the association between indoor air pollution and neurodevelopmental delay in a South African birth cohort. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:31. [PMID: 36855151 PMCID: PMC9972733 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01444-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to indoor air pollution during pregnancy has been linked to neurodevelopmental delay in toddlers. Epigenetic modification, particularly DNA methylation (DNAm), may explain this link. In this study, we employed three high-dimensional mediation analysis methods (HIMA, DACT, and gHMA) followed by causal mediation analysis to identify differentially methylated CpG sites and genes that mediate the association between indoor air pollution and neurodevelopmental delay. Analyses were performed using data from 142 mother to child pairs from a South African birth cohort, the Drakenstein Child Health Study. DNAm from cord blood was measured using the Infinium MethylationEPIC and HumanMethylation450 arrays. Neurodevelopment was assessed at age 2 years using the Bayley Scores of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition across four domains (cognitive development, general adaptive behavior, language, and motor function). Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10) was measured inside participants' homes during the second trimester of pregnancy. RESULTS A total of 29 CpG sites and 4 genes (GOPC, RP11-74K11.1, DYRK1A, RNMT) were identified as significant mediators of the association between PM10 and cognitive neurodevelopment. The estimated proportion mediated (95%-confidence interval) ranged from 0.29 [0.01, 0.86] for cg00694520 to 0.54 [0.11, 1.56] for cg05023582. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that DNAm may mediate the association between prenatal PM10 exposure and cognitive neurodevelopment. DYRK1A and several genes that our CpG sites mapped to, including CNKSR1, IPO13, IFNGR1, LONP2, and CDH1, are associated with biological pathways implicated in cognitive neurodevelopment and three of our identified CpG sites (cg23560546 [DAPL1], cg22572779 [C6orf218], cg15000966 [NT5C]) have been previously associated with fetal brain development. These findings are novel and add to the limited literature investigating the relationship between indoor air pollution, DNAm, and neurodevelopment, particularly in low- and middle-income country settings and non-white populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakotah Feil
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sarina Abrishamcar
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Grace M Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Aneesa Vanker
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, SA and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nastassja Koen
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Anna Kilanowski
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public Health, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Division of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, University of Munich Medical Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Nadia Hoffman
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Catherine J Wedderburn
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, SA and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kirsten A Donald
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, SA and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Heather J Zar
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, SA and SA-MRC Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dan J Stein
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Anke Hüls
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Zong ZQ, Chen SW, Wu Y, Gui SY, Zhang XJ, Hu CY. Ambient air pollution exposure and telomere length: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Public Health 2023; 215:42-55. [PMID: 36642039 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to provide evidence of the associations between pre- and post-birth and adulthood air pollution exposure with telomere length. STUDY DESIGN The databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched up to June 1st, 2022 in order to include relevant observational studies and perform a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS The random-effects meta-analysis was grouped by air pollutant and exposure window (pre- and post-birth and adulthood) to evaluate the summary effect estimate. Cochran's Q and I2 statistics were used to evaluate the heterogeneity among the included studies. The quality of individual studies was evaluated using the national toxicology program/office of health assessment and translation risk of bias rating tool. RESULTS We identified 18 studies, covering 8506 children and 2263 adults from multiple countries. We found moderate evidence that particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) exposure during the entire pregnancy (-0.043, 95% CI: -0.067, -0.018), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure during the first trimester (-0.016, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.027, -0.005), long-term adulthood PM2.5 exposure were associated with shortening telomere length. Mild to high between-study heterogeneity was observed for the most tested air pollutant-telomere length combinations in different exposure windows. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review and meta-analysis provides the evidence which strongly supports that prenatal PM2.5 and NO2 exposures were related to reduced telomere length, while prenatal sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) exposures, childhood PM2.5, particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10), NO2 exposures and short-term adulthood PM2.5 and PM10 exposures were not associated with telomere length. Further high-quality studies are needed to elaborate our suggestive associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z-Q Zong
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, China
| | - S-W Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Y Wu
- Oncology Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, China; The Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Cancer Center of Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, China
| | - S-Y Gui
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, China
| | - X-J Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - C-Y Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, China; Department of Humanistic Medicine, School of Humanistic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, China.
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11
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Schrott R, Song A, Ladd-Acosta C. Epigenetics as a Biomarker for Early-Life Environmental Exposure. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:604-624. [PMID: 35907133 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is interest in evaluating the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) which emphasizes the role of prenatal and early-life environments on non-communicable health outcomes throughout the life course. The ability to rigorously assess and identify early-life risk factors for later health outcomes, including those with childhood onset, in large population samples is often limited due to measurement challenges such as impractical costs associated with prospective studies with a long follow-up duration, short half-lives for some environmental toxicants, and lack of biomarkers that capture inter-individual differences in biologic response to external environments. RECENT FINDINGS Epigenomic patterns, and DNA methylation in particular, have emerged as a potential objective biomarker to address some of these study design and exposure measurement challenges. In this article, we summarize the literature to date on epigenetic changes associated with specific prenatal and early-life exposure domains as well as exposure mixtures in human observational studies and their biomarker potential. Additionally, we highlight evidence for other types of epigenetic patterns to serve as exposure biomarkers. Evidence strongly supports epigenomic biomarkers of exposure that are detectable across the lifespan and across a range of exposure domains. Current and future areas of research in this field seek to expand these lines of evidence to other environmental exposures, to determine their specificity, and to develop predictive algorithms and methylation scores that can be used to evaluate early-life risk factors for health outcomes across the life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Schrott
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ashley Song
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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12
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Rasking L, Roelens C, Sprangers B, Thienpont B, Nawrot TS, De Vusser K. Lupus, DNA Methylation, and Air Pollution: A Malicious Triad. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:15050. [PMID: 36429769 PMCID: PMC9690025 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains elusive to this day; however, genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors have been implicated to be involved in disease pathogenesis. Recently, it was demonstrated that in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, interferon-regulated genes are hypomethylated in naïve CD4+ T cells, CD19+ B lymphocytes, and CD14+ monocytes. This suggests that interferon-regulated genes may have been epigenetically poised in SLE patients for rapid expression upon stimulation by different environmental factors. Additionally, environmental studies have identified DNA (hypo)methylation changes as a potential mechanism of environmentally induced health effects in utero, during childhood and in adults. Finally, epidemiologic studies have firmly established air pollution as a crucial SLE risk factor, as studies showed an association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and traditional SLE biomarkers related to disease flare, hospital admissions, and an increased SLEDAI score. In this review, the relationship between aberrant epigenetic regulation, the environment, and the development of SLE will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leen Rasking
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Céline Roelens
- Depatment of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, University Hospital Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ben Sprangers
- Depatment of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, University Hospital Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Leuven University, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bernard Thienpont
- Department of Human Genetics, Leuven University, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tim S. Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Environment and Health Unit, Leuven University, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katrien De Vusser
- Depatment of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, University Hospital Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Leuven University, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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13
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Yi C, Wang Q, Qu Y, Niu J, Oliver BG, Chen H. In-utero exposure to air pollution and early-life neural development and cognition. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 238:113589. [PMID: 35525116 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution remains one of the major health threats around the world. Compared to adults, foetuses and infants are more vulnerable to the effects of environmental toxins. Maternal exposure to air pollution causes several adverse birth outcomes and may lead to life-long health consequences. Given that a healthy intrauterine environment is a critical factor for supporting normal foetal brain development, there is a need to understand how prenatal exposure to air pollution affects brain health and results in neurological dysfunction. This review summarised the current knowledge on the adverse effects of prenatal air pollution exposure on early life neurodevelopment and subsequent impairment of cognition and behaviour in childhood, as well as the potential of early-onset neurodegeneration. While inflammation, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum are closely involved in the physiological response, sex differences also occur. In general, males are more susceptible than females to the adverse effect of in-utero air pollution exposure. Considering the evidence provided in this review and the rising concerns of global air pollution, any efforts to reduce pollutant emission or exposure will be protective for the next generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenju Yi
- Research Centre, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Research Centre, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Yibo Qu
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jianqin Niu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Brain and Intelligence Research Key Laboratory of Chongqing Education Commission, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Brian G Oliver
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; Respiratory Cellular and Molecular Biology, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, NSW 2037, Australia
| | - Hui Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
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