Shortened Leukocyte Telomere Length Is Associated with Reduced Pulmonary Function and Greater Subsequent Decline in Function in a Sample of World Trade Center Responders

Details

• Personal Author:
  Aviv A ; Clouston SAP ; Edelman NH ; Luft BJ ; Stewart C
• Description:
  The objective of this study was to examine whether shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with more rapid pulmonary function decline in a longitudinal study of World Trade Center (WTC) responders. WTC responders (N = 284) participating in a monitoring study underwent blood sampling and were followed prospectively for spirometric outcomes. A single blood sample was taken to measure LTL using southern blotting. Outcomes included percent-predicted one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1%), forced vital capacity (FVC%), and the FEV1/FVC ratio. In a subset, percent-predicted diffusing capacity (DLCO%) was also measured. Longitudinal modeling examined prospectively collected information over five years since blood was banked was used to examine the rate of change in pulmonary functioning over time. Severity of WTC exposure was assessed. Shorter LTL was associated with lower FEV1% and FVC% at baseline. For example, 29.9% of those with LTL <6.5 kbps had FEV1% <80% whereas only 12.4% of those with LTL ?6.5 had FEV1% <80% (RR = 2.53, 95%CI = [1.70-3.76]). Lower DLCO% was also significantly associated with shorter LTL. Longitudinal models identified a prospective association between shorter LTL and greater yearly rates of decline in FEV1% (0.46%/year, 95%CI = [0.05-0.87]) and in the FEV1/FVC ratio (0.19%/year, 95%CI = [0.03-0.36]). There were no associations between severity of exposure and either LTL or pulmonary function. Longitudinal analyses revealed that shorter LTL, but not severity of WTC exposures, was associated with poorer pulmonary functioning and with greater subsequent decline in pulmonary functioning over time. These findings are consistent with the idea that shortened LTL may act as a biomarker for enhanced pulmonary vulnerability in the face of acute severe toxic inhalation exposures. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Blood Emergency Responders Environmental Exposure Hematologic Tests Lung Lung Diseases Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks

  More +
• Keywords:
  Blood Sampling Emergency Responders Exposure Levels First Responders Leukocytes Models Monitoring Systems Pulmonary Function Pulmonary System Disorders Risk Factors Statistical Analysis World Trade Center WTC

  More +
• ISSN:
  2045-2322
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract ; Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056070
• Citation:
  Sci Rep 2019 May; 9:8148
• Contact Point Address:
  Sean A. P. Clouston, Program in Public Health and Associate Professor of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
• Email:
  sean.clouston@stonybrookmedicine.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  State University of New York, Stony Brook
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20120901
• Source Full Name:
  Scientific Reports
• End Date:
  20150831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0527f41d2d412d58caa8fdb1e2892ed2ef40810768996899bf97f7016207a3283f50eb9847e99e1a36ca6e26cdb3f38244e0fd85e7b78c875acd57ba33c25018
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213759/cdc_213759_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 873.06 KB ]