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Ober C, Joseph CLM, Novembre J. Population descriptors in asthma and allergy research: Time to regroup. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024:S0091-6749(24)00363-4. [PMID: 38642714 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
| | - Christine L M Joseph
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Center for Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Research, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Mich.
| | - John Novembre
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill; Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
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2
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Mijač S, Banić I, Genc AM, Lipej M, Turkalj M. The Effects of Environmental Exposure on Epigenetic Modifications in Allergic Diseases. Medicina (Kaunas) 2024; 60:110. [PMID: 38256371 PMCID: PMC10820670 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010110] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Allergic diseases are one of the most common chronic conditions and their prevalence is on the rise. Environmental exposure, primarily prenatal and early life influences, affect the risk for the development and specific phenotypes of allergic diseases via epigenetic mechanisms. Exposure to pollutants, microorganisms and parasites, tobacco smoke and certain aspects of diet are known to drive epigenetic changes that are essential for immune regulation (e.g., the shift toward T helper 2-Th2 cell polarization and decrease in regulatory T-cell (Treg) differentiation). DNA methylation and histone modifications can modify immune programming related to either pro-allergic interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 13 (IL-13) or counter-regulatory interferon γ (IFN-γ) production. Differential expression of small non-coding RNAs has also been linked to the risk for allergic diseases and associated with air pollution. Certain exposures and associated epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the susceptibility to allergic conditions and specific clinical manifestations of the disease, while others are thought to have a protective role against the development of allergic diseases, such as maternal and early postnatal microbial diversity, maternal helminth infections and dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D. Epigenetic mechanisms are also known to be involved in mediating the response to common treatment in allergic diseases, for example, changes in histone acetylation of proinflammatory genes and in the expression of certain microRNAs are associated with the response to inhaled corticosteroids in asthma. Gaining better insight into the epigenetic regulation of allergic diseases may ultimately lead to significant improvements in the management of these conditions, earlier and more precise diagnostics, optimization of current treatment regimes, and the implementation of novel therapeutic options and prevention strategies in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Mijač
- Department of Medical Research, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.M.); (A.-M.G.)
| | - Ivana Banić
- Department of Medical Research, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.M.); (A.-M.G.)
- Department of Innovative Diagnostics, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana-Marija Genc
- Department of Medical Research, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.M.); (A.-M.G.)
| | - Marcel Lipej
- IT Department, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Mirjana Turkalj
- Department of Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonology, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
- Faculty of Medicine, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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3
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Onuzulu CD, Lee S, Basu S, Comte J, Hai Y, Hizon N, Chadha S, Fauni MS, Kahnamoui S, Xiang B, Halayko AJ, Dolinsky VW, Pascoe CD, Jones MJ. Early-life exposure to cigarette smoke primes lung function and DNA methylation changes at Cyp1a1 upon exposure later in life. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2023; 325:L552-L567. [PMID: 37642652 PMCID: PMC11068412 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00192.2023] [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] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal and early-life exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) has repeatedly been shown to induce stable, long-term changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) in offspring. It has been hypothesized that these changes might be functionally related to the known outcomes of prenatal and early-life CS exposure, which include impaired lung development, altered lung function, and increased risk of asthma and wheeze. However, to date, few studies have examined DNAm changes induced by prenatal CS in tissues of the lung, and even fewer have attempted to examine the specific influences of prenatal versus early postnatal exposures. Here, we have established a mouse model of CS exposure which isolates the effects of prenatal and early postnatal CS exposures in early life. We have used this model to measure the effects of prenatal and/or postnatal CS exposures on lung function and immune cell infiltration as well as DNAm and expression of Cyp1a1, a candidate gene previously observed to demonstrate DNAm differences on CS exposure in humans. Our study revealed that exposure to CS prenatally and in the early postnatal period causes long-lasting differences in offspring lung function, gene expression, and lung Cyp1a1 DNAm, which wane over time but are reestablished on reexposure to CS in adulthood. This study creates a testable mouse model that can be used to investigate the effects of prenatal and early postnatal CS exposures and will contribute to the design of intervention strategies to mediate these detrimental effects.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we isolated effects of prenatal from early postnatal cigarette smoke and showed that exposure to cigarette smoke early in life causes changes in offspring DNA methylation at Cyp1a1 that last through early adulthood but not into late adulthood. We also showed that smoking in adulthood reestablished these DNA methylation patterns at Cyp1a1, suggesting that a mechanism other than DNA methylation results in long-term memory associated with early-life cigarette smoke exposures at this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinonye Doris Onuzulu
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Samantha Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Sujata Basu
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jeannette Comte
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Yan Hai
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Nikho Hizon
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Shivam Chadha
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Maria Shenna Fauni
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Shana Kahnamoui
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Bo Xiang
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andrew J Halayko
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Vernon W Dolinsky
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Christopher D Pascoe
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Meaghan J Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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4
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Zhang B, Xia Z, Jiang X, Yuan Y, Yin C, Chen T. Indoor environment in relation to recurrent childhood asthma in Yancheng, China: a hospital-based case-control study. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:102212-102221. [PMID: 37665446 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29631-1] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
This investigation explored the association between indoor environmental factors and childhood asthma in Yancheng, China. Asthma case (201 children with recurrent asthma) and control cohorts (242 healthy subjects) were recruited from a Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) Hospital in Yancheng city, based on the results of an ISAAC questionnaire. Questionnaires regarding environmental risk factors were completed by the child's primary caregivers. To compare data on environmental VOCs and formaldehyde contents between asthma and control cohorts, we passively conducted a 10-day indoor and outdoor sampling. Breastfeeding was a major protective indoor environmental factor for recurrent asthma (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.368, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.216-0.627). Our analysis revealed that childhood recurrent asthma was intricately linked to a family history of asthma. Recurrent asthma was also associated with passive smoking [aOR2.115 (95%-CI 1.275-3.508)]. Analogous correlations were observed between household renovation or new furniture introduction and recurrent asthma [aOR3.129(95%-CI1.542-6.347)]. Benzene and formaldehyde were present in all examined homes. Enhanced benzene and formaldehyde concentrations were strongly evident among asthma versus control cohorts, and they were strongly correlated with augmented recurrent asthma risk. Home environment heavily regulates incidences of childhood recurrent asthma. Hence, actions against the indoor environmental risk factors described in this study may assist in the prevention of recurrent asthma among children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoping Zhang
- Yancheng Institute of Technology, P.O. Box No. 211 Jianjun Road, Yancheng, 224051, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhibin Xia
- Yancheng Institute of Technology, P.O. Box No. 211 Jianjun Road, Yancheng, 224051, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xu Jiang
- Yancheng Institute of Technology, P.O. Box No. 211 Jianjun Road, Yancheng, 224051, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Environmental Protection Equipment, Yancheng, 224051, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yang Yuan
- Yancheng Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yancheng, 224001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chuntao Yin
- Jiangsu Huanghai Ecological Environment Detection CO., Ltd., Jiangsu, 224008, China
| | - Tianming Chen
- Yancheng Institute of Technology, P.O. Box No. 211 Jianjun Road, Yancheng, 224051, Jiangsu Province, China.
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Environmental Protection Equipment, Yancheng, 224051, Jiangsu Province, China.
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5
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Cardenas A, Fadadu RP, Koppelman GH. Epigenome-wide association studies of allergic disease and the environment. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 152:582-590. [PMID: 37295475 PMCID: PMC10564109 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The epigenome is at the intersection of the environment, genotype, and cellular response. DNA methylation of cytosine nucleotides, the most studied epigenetic modification, has been systematically evaluated in human studies by using untargeted epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) and shown to be both sensitive to environmental exposures and associated with allergic diseases. In this narrative review, we summarize findings from key EWASs previously conducted on this topic; interpret results from recent studies; and discuss the strengths, challenges, and opportunities regarding epigenetics research on the environment-allergy relationship. The majority of these EWASs have systematically investigated select environmental exposures during the prenatal and early childhood periods and allergy-associated epigenetic changes in leukocyte-isolated DNA and more recently in nasal cells. Overall, many studies have found consistent DNA methylation associations across cohorts for certain exposures, such as smoking (eg, aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor gene [AHRR] gene), and allergic diseases (eg, EPX gene). We recommend the integration of both environmental exposures and allergy or asthma within long-term prospective designs to strengthen causality as well as biomarker development. Future studies should collect paired target tissues to examine compartment-specific epigenetic responses, incorporate genetic influences in DNA methylation (methylation quantitative trait locus), replicate findings across diverse populations, and carefully interpret epigenetic signatures from bulk, target tissue or isolated cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Cardenas
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif
| | - Raj P Fadadu
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Calif
| | - Gerard H Koppelman
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute of Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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6
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Fransquet PD, Macdonald JA, Ryan J, Greenwood CJ, Olsson CA. Exploring perinatal biopsychosocial factors and epigenetic age in 1-year-old offspring. Epigenomics 2023; 15:927-939. [PMID: 37905426 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0284] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Little is known about the determinants of epigenetic aging in pediatric populations. Methods: Epigenetic age was estimated from 258 1-year-olds, using pediatric buccal epigenetic and Horvath clocks. We explored associations between epigenetic age and maternal indicators of mental and relational health, substance use and general physical health assessed during trimester three. Results: Higher anxiety and stress, BMI and higher parent-parent relationship quality were associated with pediatric buccal epigenetic clock differences. High blood pressure during pregnancy was associated with Horvath age acceleration. Third-trimester smoking and pre-pregnancy weight were associated with acceleration and deceleration respectively, and concordant across clocks. Conclusion: A broad range of maternal factors may shape epigenetic age in infancy; further research is needed to explore the possible effects on health and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Fransquet
- Deakin University, Centre for Social & Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jacqui A Macdonald
- Deakin University, Centre for Social & Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Population Studies of Adolescents, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Christopher J Greenwood
- Deakin University, Centre for Social & Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Population Studies of Adolescents, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Craig A Olsson
- Deakin University, Centre for Social & Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Population Studies of Adolescents, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Caffarelli C, Gracci S, Giannì G, Bernardini R. Are Babies Born Preterm High-Risk Asthma Candidates? J Clin Med 2023; 12:5400. [PMID: 37629440 PMCID: PMC10455600 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12165400] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Among preterm infants, the risk of developing asthma is a matter of debate. This review discusses the state of the art of poorly understood prematurity-associated asthma. Impaired pulmonary function is common in children born prematurely. Preterm infants are prone to developing viral respiratory tract infections, bronchiolitis in the first year of life, and recurrent viral wheezing in preschool age. All of these conditions may precede asthma development. We also discuss the role of both atopic sensitization and intestinal microbiome and, consequently, immune maturation. Diet and pollution have been considered to better understand how prematurity could be associated with asthma. Understanding the effect of factors involved in asthma onset may pave the way to improve the prediction of this asthma phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Caffarelli
- Clinica Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Serena Gracci
- Pediatric Unit, San Giuseppe Hospital, 50053 Empoli, Italy
| | - Giuliana Giannì
- Clinica Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
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Miyake K, Kushima M, Shinohara R, Horiuchi S, Otawa S, Akiyama Y, Ooka T, Kojima R, Yokomichi H, Yamagata Z. Maternal smoking status before and during pregnancy and bronchial asthma at 3 years of age: a prospective cohort study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3234. [PMID: 36828882 PMCID: PMC9958124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30304-9] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between maternal pre-pregnancy smoking status and asthma risk is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between pre- and post-pregnancy maternal smoking status and bronchial asthma at 3 years of age in a large birth cohort. Data of 75,411 mother-child pairs from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) were analysed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Overall, 7.2% of the children had bronchial asthma. The maternal smoking status before childbirth was as follows: Never = 60.0%, Quit before recognising current pregnancy = 24.1%, Quit after finding out about current pregnancy = 12.3%, and Still smoking = 3.6%. Children of mothers who sustained smoking during pregnancy had an increased risk of bronchial asthma at 3 years of age even after adjusting for pre- and postnatal covariates (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-1.56). Children of mothers who quit before (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.18) or after (aOR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.23) recognising the current pregnancy had an increased risk of bronchial asthma at 3 years of age. Maternal smoking throughout pregnancy and smoking exposure pre-pregnancy or in early pregnancy increases the risk of bronchial asthma in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunio Miyake
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan.
| | - Megumi Kushima
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Center for Birth Cohort Studies, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Ryoji Shinohara
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Center for Birth Cohort Studies, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Sayaka Horiuchi
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Center for Birth Cohort Studies, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Sanae Otawa
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Center for Birth Cohort Studies, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Yuka Akiyama
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898 Japan
| | - Tadao Ooka
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898 Japan
| | - Reiji Kojima
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898 Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yokomichi
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898 Japan
| | - Zentaro Yamagata
- grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898 Japan ,grid.267500.60000 0001 0291 3581Center for Birth Cohort Studies, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
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9
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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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Blostein FA, Fisher J, Dou J, Schneper L, Ware EB, Notterman DA, Mitchell C, Bakulski KM. Polymethylation scores for prenatal maternal smoke exposure persist until age 15 and are detected in saliva in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing cohort. Epigenetics 2022; 17:2223-2240. [PMID: 35980258 PMCID: PMC9665138 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2022.2112815] [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] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal maternal smoking is associated with low birthweight, neurological disorders, and asthma in exposed children. DNA methylation signatures can function as biomarkers of prenatal smoke exposure. However, the robustness of DNA methylation signatures across child ages, genetic ancestry groups, or tissues is not clear. Using coefficients from a meta-analysis of prenatal smoke exposure and DNA methylation in newborn cord blood, we created polymethylation scores of saliva DNA methylation from children at ages 9 and 15 in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study. In the full sample at age 9 (n = 753), prenatal smoke exposure was associated with a 0.51 (95%CI: 0.35, 0.66) standard deviation higher polymethylation score. The direction and magnitude of the association was consistent in European and African genetic ancestry samples. In the full sample at age 15 (n = 747), prenatal smoke exposure was associated with a 0.48 (95%CI: 0.32, 0.63) standard deviation higher polymethylation score, and the association was attenuated among the European and Admixed-Latin genetic ancestry samples. The polymethylation score classified prenatal smoke exposure accurately (AUC age 9 = 0.77, age 15 = 0.76). Including the polymethylation score increased the AUC of base model covariates by 5 (95% CI: (2.1, 7.2)) percentage points, while including a single candidate site in the AHRR gene did not (P-value = 0.19). Polymethylation scores for prenatal smoking were portable across genetic ancestries and more accurate than an individual DNA methylation site. Polymethylation scores from saliva samples could serve as robust and practical biomarkers of prenatal smoke exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freida A. Blostein
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jonah Fisher
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - John Dou
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lisa Schneper
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Erin B. Ware
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Daniel A. Notterman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kelly M. Bakulski
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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11
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Cosin-Tomas M, Cilleros-Portet A, Aguilar-Lacasaña S, Fernandez-Jimenez N, Bustamante M. Prenatal Maternal Smoke, DNA Methylation, and Multi-omics of Tissues and Child Health. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:502-512. [PMID: 35670920 PMCID: PMC9363403 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00361-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Maternal tobacco smoking during pregnancy is of public health concern, and understanding the biological mechanisms can help to promote smoking cessation campaigns. This non-systematic review focuses on the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on offspring's epigenome, consistent in chemical modifications of the genome that regulate gene expression. RECENT FINDINGS Recent meta-analyses of epigenome-wide association studies have shown that maternal smoking during pregnancy is consistently associated with offspring's DNA methylation changes, both in the placenta and blood. These studies indicate that effects on blood DNA methylation can persist for years, and that the longer the duration of the exposure and the higher the dose, the larger the effects. Hence, DNA methylation scores have been developed to estimate past exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy as biomarkers. There is robust evidence for DNA methylation alterations associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy; however, the role of sex, ethnicity, and genetic background needs further exploration. Moreover, there are no conclusive studies about exposure to low doses or during the preconception period. Similarly, studies on tissues other than the placenta and blood are scarce, and cell-type specificity within tissues needs further investigation. In addition, biological interpretation of DNA methylation findings requires multi-omics data, poorly available in epidemiological settings. Finally, although several mediation analyses link DNA methylation changes with health outcomes, they do not allow causal inference. For this, a combination of data from multiple study designs will be essential in the future to better address this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cosin-Tomas
- ISGlobal, Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain. .,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain. .,CIBER Epidemiología Y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ariadna Cilleros-Portet
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Biocruces-Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Sofía Aguilar-Lacasaña
- ISGlobal, Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología Y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nora Fernandez-Jimenez
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Biocruces-Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Mariona Bustamante
- ISGlobal, Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología Y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
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12
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Cahill KM, Gartia MR, Sahu S, Bergeron SR, Heffernan LM, Paulsen DB, Penn AL, Noël A. In utero exposure to electronic-cigarette aerosols decreases lung fibrillar collagen content, increases Newtonian resistance and induces sex-specific molecular signatures in neonatal mice. Toxicol Res 2022; 38:205-224. [PMID: 35415078 PMCID: PMC8960495 DOI: 10.1007/s43188-021-00103-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 7% of pregnant women in the United States use electronic-cigarette (e-cig) devices during pregnancy. There is, however, no scientific evidence to support e-cig use as being 'safe' during pregnancy. Little is known about the effects of fetal exposures to e-cig aerosols on lung alveologenesis. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that in utero exposure to e-cig aerosol impairs lung alveologenesis and pulmonary function in neonates. Pregnant BALB/c mice were exposed 2 h a day for 20 consecutive days during gestation to either filtered air or cinnamon-flavored e-cig aerosol (36 mg/mL of nicotine). Lung tissue was collected in offspring during lung alveologenesis on postnatal day (PND) 5 and PND11. Lung function was measured at PND11. Exposure to e-cig aerosol in utero led to a significant decrease in body weights at birth which was sustained through PND5. At PND5, in utero e-cig exposures dysregulated genes related to Wnt signaling and epigenetic modifications in both females (~ 120 genes) and males (40 genes). These alterations were accompanied by reduced lung fibrillar collagen content at PND5-a time point when collagen content is close to its peak to support alveoli formation. In utero exposure to e-cig aerosol also increased the Newtonian resistance of offspring at PND11, suggesting a narrowing of the conducting airways. At PND11, in females, transcriptomic dysregulation associated with epigenetic alterations was sustained (17 genes), while WNT signaling dysregulation was largely resolved (10 genes). In males, at PND11, the expression of only 4 genes associated with epigenetics was dysregulated, while 16 Wnt related-genes were altered. These data demonstrate that in utero exposures to cinnamon-flavored e-cig aerosols alter lung structure and function and induce sex-specific molecular signatures during lung alveologenesis in neonatal mice. This may reflect epigenetic programming affecting lung disease development later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerin M. Cahill
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Manas R. Gartia
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Sushant Sahu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504 USA
| | - Sarah R. Bergeron
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Linda M. Heffernan
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Daniel B. Paulsen
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Arthur L. Penn
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Alexandra Noël
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
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13
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Bravo-Gutiérrez OA, Falfán-Valencia R, Ramírez-Venegas A, Sansores RH, Hernández-Zenteno RJ, Hernández-Pérez A, García-Gómez L, Osio-Echánove J, Abarca-Rojano E, Pérez-Rubio G. Hypomethylation of AHRR (cg05575921) Is Related to Smoking Status in the Mexican Mestizo Population. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1276. [PMID: 34440450 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tobacco smoking results in a multifactorial disease involving environmental and genetic factors; epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) show changes in DNA methylation levels due to cigarette consumption, partially reversible upon tobacco smoking cessation. Therefore, methylation levels could predict smoking status. This study aimed to evaluate the DNA methylation level of cg05575921 (AHRR) and cg23771366 (PRSS23) and their correlation with lung function variables, cigarette consumption, and nicotine addiction in the Mexican smoking population. We included 114 non-smokers (NS) and 102 current tobacco smokers (TS); we then further subclassified them as heavy smokers (HS) (n = 53) and light smokers (LS) (n = 49). We used restriction enzymes (MspI/HpaII) and qPCR to determine the DNA methylation level. We observed significant hypomethylation of cg05575921 in smokers compared to NS (p = 0.003); further analysis found a difference between HS and NS (p = 0.02). We did not observe differences between other groups or a positive correlation between methylation levels and age, BMI, cigarette consumption, nicotine addiction, or lung function. In conclusion, the cg05575921 site of AHRR is significantly hypomethylated in Mexican smokers, especially in HS (≥20 cigarettes per day).
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14
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Murphy VE, Karmaus W, Mattes J, Brew BK, Collison A, Holliday E, Jensen ME, Morgan GG, Zosky GR, McDonald VM, Jegasothy E, Robinson PD, Gibson PG. Exposure to Stress and Air Pollution from Bushfires during Pregnancy: Could Epigenetic Changes Explain Effects on the Offspring? Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:7465. [PMID: 34299914 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Due to climate change, bushfires are becoming a more frequent and more severe phenomenon which contributes to poor health effects associated with air pollution. In pregnancy, environmental exposures can have lifelong consequences for the fetus, but little is known about these consequences in the context of bushfire smoke exposure. In this review we summarise the current knowledge in this area, and propose a potential mechanism linking bushfire smoke exposure in utero to poor perinatal and respiratory outcomes in the offspring. Bushfire smoke exposure is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes including reduced birth weight and an increased risk of prematurity. Some publications have outlined the adverse health effects on young children, particularly in relation to emergency department presentations and hospital admissions for respiratory problems, but there are no studies in children who were exposed to bushfire smoke in utero. Prenatal stress is likely to occur as a result of catastrophic bushfire events, and stress is known to be associated with poor perinatal and respiratory outcomes. Changes to DNA methylation are potential epigenetic mechanisms linking both smoke particulate exposure and prenatal stress to poor childhood respiratory health outcomes. More research is needed in large pregnancy cohorts exposed to bushfire events to explore this further, and to design appropriate mitigation interventions, in this area of global public health importance.
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15
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Sheikhpour M, Maleki M, Ebrahimi Vargoorani M, Amiri V. A review of epigenetic changes in asthma: methylation and acetylation. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:65. [PMID: 33781317 PMCID: PMC8008616 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01049-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies show that childhood and adulthood asthma and its symptoms can be modulated through epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic changes are inheritable modifications that can modify the gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. The most common epigenetic alternations consist of DNA methylation and histone modifications. How these changes lead to asthmatic phenotype or promote the asthma features, in particular by immune pathways regulation, is an understudied topic. Since external effects, like exposure to tobacco smoke, air pollution, and drugs, influence both asthma development and the epigenome, elucidating the role of epigenetic changes in asthma is of great importance. This review presents available evidence on the epigenetic process that drives asthma genes and pathways, with a particular focus on DNA methylation, histone methylation, and acetylation. We gathered and assessed studies conducted in this field over the past two decades. Our study examined asthma in different aspects and also shed light on the limitations and the important factors involved in the outcomes of the studies. To date, most of the studies in this area have been carried out on DNA methylation. Therefore, the need for diagnostic and therapeutic applications through this molecular process calls for more research on the histone modifications in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojgan Sheikhpour
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Microbiology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mobina Maleki
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Ebrahimi Vargoorani
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Amiri
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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16
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Abstract
Exposure to environmental factors can affect DNA methylation at a 5'-cytosine-phosphate-guanine-3' (CpG) site or a genomic region, which can then affect an outcome. In other words, environmental effects on an outcome could be mediated by DNA methylation. To date, single CpG-site-based mediation analysis has been employed extensively. More recently, however, there has been considerable interest in studying differentially methylated regions (DMRs), both because DMRs are more likely to have functional effects than single CpG sites and because testing DMRs reduces multiple testing. In this report, we propose a novel causal mediation approach under the counterfactual framework to test the significance of total (TE), direct (DE), and indirect effects (IE) of predictors on response variable with a methylated region (MR) as the mediator (denoted as MR-Mediation). Functional linear transformation is used to reduce the possible high dimension of the CpG sites in a predefined MR and to account for their location information. In our simulation studies, MR-Mediation retained the desired Type I error rates for TE, DE, and IE tests. Furthermore, MR-Mediation had better power performance than testing mean methylation level as the mediator in most considered scenarios, especially for IE (i.e., mediated effect) test, which could be more interesting than the other two effect tests. We further illustrate our proposed method by analysing the methylation mediated effect of exposure to gun violence on total immunoglobulin E or atopic asthma among participants in the Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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17
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Salmanzadeh H, Ahmadi-Soleimani SM, Azadi M, Halliwell RF, Azizi H. Adolescent Substance Abuse, Transgenerational Consequences and Epigenetics. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 19:1560-1569. [PMID: 33655865 PMCID: PMC8762180 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210303121519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is the transitional period between childhood and adulthood and a critical period in brain development. Adolescence in humans is also associated with increased expression of risk-taking behaviors. Epidemiological and clinical studies, for example, show a surge of drug abuse and raise the hypothesis that the adolescent brain undergoes critical changes resulting in diminished control. Determining how substance abuse during this critical period might cause longterm neurobiological changes in cognition and behavior is therefore critically important. The present work aims to provide an evaluation of the transgenerational and multi-generational phenotypes derived from parent animals exposed to drugs of abuse only during their adolescence. Specifically, we will consider changes found following the administration of cannabinoids, nicotine, alcohol and opiates. In addition, epigenetic modifications of the genome following drug exposure will be discussed as emerging evidence of the underlying adverse transgenerational effects. Notwithstanding, much of the new data discussed here is from animal models, indicating that future clinical studies are much needed to better understand the neurobiological consequences and mechanisms of drug actions on the human brains' development and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Robert F. Halliwell
- Address correspondence to this author at the TJ Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, USA; Tel: +1 (209) 946 2074; E-mail: and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; Tel: +98-21-82884587; Fax: +98-21-82884528; E-mail:
| | - Hossein Azizi
- Address correspondence to this author at the TJ Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, USA; Tel: +1 (209) 946 2074; E-mail: and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; Tel: +98-21-82884587; Fax: +98-21-82884528; E-mail:
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18
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Patel R, Solatikia F, Zhang H, Wolde A, Kadalayil L, Karmaus W, Ewart S, Arathimos R, Relton C, Ring S, Henderson AJ, Arshad SH, Holloway JW. Sex-specific associations of asthma acquisition with changes in DNA methylation during adolescence. Clin Exp Allergy 2020; 51:318-328. [PMID: 33150670 DOI: 10.1111/cea.13776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Underlying biological mechanisms involved in sex differences in asthma status changes from pre- to post-adolescence are unclear. DNA methylation (DNAm) has been shown to be associated with the risk of asthma. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that asthma acquisition from pre- to post-adolescence was associated with changes in DNAm during this period at asthma-associated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites and such an association was sex-specific. METHODS Subjects from the Isle of Wight birth cohort (IOWBC) with DNAm in blood at ages 10 and 18 years (n = 124 females, 151 males) were studied. Using a training-testing approach, epigenome-wide CpGs associated with asthma were identified. Logistic regression was used to examine sex-specific associations of DNAm changes with asthma acquisition between ages 10 and 18 at asthma-associated CpGs. The ALSPAC birth cohort was used for independent replication. To assess functional relevance of identified CpGs, association of DNAm with gene expression in blood was assessed. RESULTS We identified 535 CpGs potentially associated with asthma. Significant interaction effects of DNAm changes and sex on asthma acquisition in adolescence were found at 13 of the 535 CpGs in IOWBC (P-values <1.0 × 10-3 ). In the replication cohort, consistent interaction effects were observed at 10 of the 13 CpGs. At 7 of these 10 CpGs, opposite DNAm changes across adolescence were observed between sexes in both cohorts. In both cohorts, cg20891917, located on IFRD1 linked to asthma, shows strong sex-specific effects on asthma transition (P-values <.01 in both cohorts). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Gender reversal in asthma acquisition is associated with opposite changes in DNAm (males vs females) from pre- to post-adolescence at asthma-associated CpGs. These CpGs are potential biomarkers of sex-specific asthma acquisition in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rutu Patel
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Farnaz Solatikia
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.,Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Alemayehu Wolde
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Latha Kadalayil
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Wilfried Karmaus
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Susan Ewart
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Ryan Arathimos
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.,Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Caroline Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Susan Ring
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Syed Hasan Arshad
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight, UK.,NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - John W Holloway
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK
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19
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Tiotiu AI, Novakova P, Nedeva D, Chong-Neto HJ, Novakova S, Steiropoulos P, Kowal K. Impact of Air Pollution on Asthma Outcomes. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:ijerph17176212. [PMID: 32867076 PMCID: PMC7503605 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by variable airflow obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and airway inflammation. Evidence suggests that air pollution has a negative impact on asthma outcomes in both adult and pediatric populations. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the effect of various outdoor and indoor pollutants on asthma outcomes, their burden on its management, as well as to highlight the measures that could result in improved asthma outcomes. Traffic-related air pollution, nitrogen dioxide and second-hand smoking (SHS) exposures represent significant risk factors for asthma development in children. Nevertheless, a causal relation between air pollution and development of adult asthma is not clearly established. Exposure to outdoor pollutants can induce asthma symptoms, exacerbations and decreases in lung function. Active tobacco smoking is associated with poorer asthma control, while exposure to SHS increases the risk of asthma exacerbations, respiratory symptoms and healthcare utilization. Other indoor pollutants such as heating sources and molds can also negatively impact the course of asthma. Global measures, that aim to reduce exposure to air pollutants, are highly needed in order to improve the outcomes and management of adult and pediatric asthma in addition to the existing guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica I. Tiotiu
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital of Nancy, 54395 Nancy, France
- Development of Adaptation and Disadvantage, Cardiorespiratory Regulations and Motor Control (EA 3450 DevAH), University of Lorraine, 54395 Nancy, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-383-154-299
| | - Plamena Novakova
- Clinic of Clinical Allergy, Medical University, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | | | - Herberto Jose Chong-Neto
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 80000-000, Brazil;
| | - Silviya Novakova
- Allergy Unit, Internal Consulting Department, University Hospital “St. George”, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Paschalis Steiropoulos
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, University General Hospital Dragana, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece;
| | - Krzysztof Kowal
- Department of Allergology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-037 Bialystok, Poland;
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20
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Wohlford EM, Borrell LN, Elhawary JR, Plotkin B, Oh SS, Nuckton TJ, Eng C, Salazar S, LeNoir MA, Meade K, Farber HJ, Serebrisky D, Brigino-Buenaventura E, Rodriguez-Cintron W, Kumar R, Thyne S, Seibold MA, Rodríguez-Santana JR, Burchard EG. Differential asthma odds following respiratory infection in children from three minority populations. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231782. [PMID: 32369487 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Severe early-life respiratory illnesses, particularly those caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human rhinovirus (HRV), are strongly associated with the development of asthma in children. Puerto Rican children in particular have a strikingly high asthma burden. However, prior studies of the potential associations between early-life respiratory illnesses and asthma in Puerto Rican and other minority populations have been limited. OBJECTIVES We sought to determine whether early-life respiratory illness was associated with asthma in Puerto Rican, Mexican American, and African American children. METHODS Using a logistic regression analysis, we examined the association between early-life respiratory illnesses (report of upper respiratory infection (URI), pneumonia, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis/RSV) within the first two years of life and physician-diagnosed asthma after the age of two in a large cohort of Puerto Rican, Mexican American, and African American children. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS While early-life respiratory illnesses were associated with greater asthma odds in Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, and African Americans, these associations were stronger among Puerto Rican children. Specifically, in Puerto Ricans, the odds was 6.15 (95% CI: 4.21-9.05) if the child reported at least one of the following respiratory illness: URI, pneumonia, bronchitis or bronchiolitis. The odds were also higher in Puerto Ricans when considering these conditions separately. CONCLUSIONS We observed population-specific associations between early-life respiratory illnesses and asthma, which were especially significant and stronger in Puerto Ricans. Taken together with the known high burden of RSV in Puerto Rico, our results may help explain the high burden of asthma in Puerto Ricans.
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