Prenatal PM2.5 Exposure in Relation to Maternal and Newborn Telomere Length at Delivery

Abstract

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) is a ubiquitous air pollutant that is increasingly threatening the health of adults and children worldwide. One health impact of elevated PM2.5 exposure is alterations in telomere length (TL)—protective caps on chromosome ends that shorten with each cell division. Few analyses involve prenatal PM2.5 exposure, and paired maternal and cord TL measurements. Here, we analyzed the association between average and trimester-specific prenatal PM2.5 exposure, and maternal and newborn relative leukocyte TL measured at birth among 193 mothers and their newborns enrolled in a New-York-City-based birth cohort. Results indicated an overall negative relationship between prenatal PM2.5 and maternal TL at delivery, with a significant association observed in the second trimester (β = −0.039, 95% CI: −0.074, −0.003). PM2.5 exposure in trimester two was also inversely related to cord TL; however, this result did not reach statistical significance (β = −0.037, 95% CI: −0.114, 0.039), and no clear pattern emerged between PM2.5 and cord TL across the different exposure periods. Our analysis contributes to a limited body of research on ambient air pollution and human telomeres, and emphasizes the need for continued investigation into how PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy influences maternal and newborn health.

The association between household biomass fuel use and leukocyte telomere length among toddlers in Bhaktapur, Nepal

“…The available literature on the relationship between telomere length and exposure to air pollutants is primarily from studies measuring the ambient air quality at a population level [24,38]. In our study, we have individual data on the exposure to biomass fuel from each household and LTL measured when the children were 18-23 months.…”

Aging, longevity, and the role of environmental stressors: a focus on wildfire smoke and air quality

“…Regarding environmental exposures, air pollution has been shown to shorten telomere length in several cell types, including leukocytes, placenta, and lung epithelial cells ( Zhao et al, 2018a ; Chang-Chien et al, 2021 ), which directly correlates with accelerated aging ( Pieters et al, 2016 ), and cognitive decline in the elderly ( Colicino et al, 2017 ). Alarmingly, prenatal exposure to air pollution resulted in shorter leukocyte telomere length at birth ( Lee et al, 2020 ; Durham et al, 2022 ). One follow-up study showed these prenatally exposed children had a significant increase in repeated wheeze tests 4 years later.…”