A panel study of occupational exposure to fine particulate matter and changes in DNA methylation over a single workday and years worked in boilermaker welders

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Environ Health
• Personal Author:
  Kile, Molly L ; Fang, Shona ; Baccarelli, Andrea A ; Tarantini, Letizia ; Cavallari, Jennifer ; Christiani, David C
• Description:
  Background
  
  Exposure to pollutants including metals and particulate air pollution can alter DNA methylation. Yet little is known about intra-individual changes in DNA methylation over time in relationship to environmental exposures. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of acute- and chronic metal-rich PM2.5 exposures on DNA methylation.
  
  Methods
  
  Thirty-eight male boilermaker welders participated in a panel study for a total of 54 person days. Whole blood was collected prior to any welding activities (pre-shift) and immediately after the exposure period (post-shift). The percentage of methylated cytosines (%mC) in LINE-1, Alu, and inducible nitric oxide synthase gene (iNOS) were quantified using pyrosequencing. Personal PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) was measured over the work-shift. A questionnaire assessed job history and years worked as a boilermaker. Linear mixed models with repeated measures evaluated associations between DNA methylation, PM2.5 concentration (acute exposure), and years worked as a boilermaker (chronic exposure).
  
  Results
  
  PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased methylation in the promoter region of the iNOS gene (β = 0.25, SE: 0.11, p-value = 0.04). Additionally, the number of years worked as a boilermaker was associated with increased iNOS methylation (β = 0.03, SE: 0.01, p-value = 0.03). No associations were observed for Alu or LINE-1.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Acute and chronic exposure to PM2.5 generated from welding activities was associated with a modest change in DNA methylation of the iNOS gene. Future studies are needed to confirm this association and determine if the observed small increase in iNOS methylation are associated with changes in NO production or any adverse health effect.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult Air Pollutants, Occupational Alu Boilermakers DNA Methylation Humans INOS LINE-1 Male Middle Aged Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II Occupational Exposure Particulate Matter PM2.5 Promoter Regions, Genetic Research Welders Welding Young Adult

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• Source:
  Environ Health. 2013; 12:47.
• Pubmed ID:
  23758843
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC3700827
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  ES00002/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; ES009860/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; K01 ES017800/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; K01ES017800/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 ES009860/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 ES 07069/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; T42 OH008416/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/United States
• Volume:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045739
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:16f93c9022584127e2452a1500127dd09e6bc214d4d96696f5a9f9b54e0d9e0debae5dda80351ea45c3564ec1bec466a65fbea124718ee92348129ad4e0adbb1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/32128/cdc_32128_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 197.08 KB ]