Abstract
Background: Few studies have been performed on pulmonary effects of air pollution in the elderly-a vulnerable population with low reserve capacity-and mechanisms and susceptibility factors for potential effects are unclear. Objectives: We evaluated the lag structure of air pollutant associations with lung function and potential effect modification by DNA methylation (<or ≥ median) at 26 individual CpG sites in nine candidate genes in a well-characterized cohort of elderly men. Methods: We measured forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1), and blood DNA methylation one to four times between 1999 and 2009 in 776 men from the Normative Aging Study. Air pollution was measured at fixed monitors 4 hr to 28 days before lung function tests. We used linear mixed-effects models to estimate the main effects of air pollutants and effect modification by DNA methylation. Results: An interquartile range (IQR) increase in subchronic exposure (3 to 28 days cumulated), but not in acute exposure (during the previous 4 hr, or the current or previous day), to black carbon, total and nontraffic particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide was associated with a 1-5% decrease in FVC and FEV1 (p <0.05). Slope estimates were greater for FVC than FEV1, and increased with cumulative exposure. The estimates slopes for air pollutants (28 days cumulated) were higher in participants with low (<median) methylation in TLR2 at position 2 and position 5 and high (≥ median) methylation in GCR. Conclusions: Subchronic exposure to traffic-related pollutants was associated with significantly reduced lung function in the elderly; nontraffic pollutants (particles, ozone) had weaker associations. Epigenetic mechanisms related to inflammation and immunity may influence these associations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 566-572 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Environmental Health Perspectives |
| Volume | 122 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Epigenetic influences on associations between air pollutants and lung function in elderly men : The normative aging study. / Lepeule, Johanna; Bind, Marie Abele Catherine; Baccarelli, Andrea A.; Koutrakis, Petros; Tarantini, Letizia; Litonjua, Augusto; Sparrow, David; Vokonas, Pantel; Schwartz, Joel D.
In: Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 122, No. 6, 2014, p. 566-572.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Epigenetic influences on associations between air pollutants and lung function in elderly men
T2 - The normative aging study
AU - Lepeule, Johanna
AU - Bind, Marie Abele Catherine
AU - Baccarelli, Andrea A.
AU - Koutrakis, Petros
AU - Tarantini, Letizia
AU - Litonjua, Augusto
AU - Sparrow, David
AU - Vokonas, Pantel
AU - Schwartz, Joel D.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background: Few studies have been performed on pulmonary effects of air pollution in the elderly-a vulnerable population with low reserve capacity-and mechanisms and susceptibility factors for potential effects are unclear. Objectives: We evaluated the lag structure of air pollutant associations with lung function and potential effect modification by DNA methylation (1), and blood DNA methylation one to four times between 1999 and 2009 in 776 men from the Normative Aging Study. Air pollution was measured at fixed monitors 4 hr to 28 days before lung function tests. We used linear mixed-effects models to estimate the main effects of air pollutants and effect modification by DNA methylation. Results: An interquartile range (IQR) increase in subchronic exposure (3 to 28 days cumulated), but not in acute exposure (during the previous 4 hr, or the current or previous day), to black carbon, total and nontraffic particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide was associated with a 1-5% decrease in FVC and FEV1 (p <0.05). Slope estimates were greater for FVC than FEV1, and increased with cumulative exposure. The estimates slopes for air pollutants (28 days cumulated) were higher in participants with low (
AB - Background: Few studies have been performed on pulmonary effects of air pollution in the elderly-a vulnerable population with low reserve capacity-and mechanisms and susceptibility factors for potential effects are unclear. Objectives: We evaluated the lag structure of air pollutant associations with lung function and potential effect modification by DNA methylation (1), and blood DNA methylation one to four times between 1999 and 2009 in 776 men from the Normative Aging Study. Air pollution was measured at fixed monitors 4 hr to 28 days before lung function tests. We used linear mixed-effects models to estimate the main effects of air pollutants and effect modification by DNA methylation. Results: An interquartile range (IQR) increase in subchronic exposure (3 to 28 days cumulated), but not in acute exposure (during the previous 4 hr, or the current or previous day), to black carbon, total and nontraffic particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide was associated with a 1-5% decrease in FVC and FEV1 (p <0.05). Slope estimates were greater for FVC than FEV1, and increased with cumulative exposure. The estimates slopes for air pollutants (28 days cumulated) were higher in participants with low (
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84901807040&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84901807040&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1289/ehp.1206458
DO - 10.1289/ehp.1206458
M3 - Article
C2 - 24602767
AN - SCOPUS:84901807040
VL - 122
SP - 566
EP - 572
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
SN - 0091-6765
IS - 6
ER -