Effects of maternal exposure to ambient air pollution on newborn telomere length

• Published in: Environment international 2019-07, Vol.128, p.254-260
• Main Authors: Song, Lulu, Zhang, Bin, Liu, Bingqing, Wu, Mingyang, Zhang, Lina, Wang, Lulin, Xu, Shunqing, Cao, Zhongqiang, Wang, Youjie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Maternal exposure; Newborns, trimester-specific; Telomere length
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.04.064

Telomere length (TL) is considered as a surrogate of biological aging and has been related to aging-related diseases. The initial setting of newborn TL has important implications for telomere dynamics in adulthood, and is affected by the intrauterine environment. However, the effects of prenatal air pollution exposure on the initial setting of newborn TL are poor understood. We aimed to explore the trimester-specific relationships between maternal air pollution exposure and newborn TL. Between November 2013 and March 2015, a total of 762 mother-newborn pairs were recruited in a birth cohort study in Wuhan, China. Relative cord blood TL was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Maternal exposures to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, and NO2, were determined using spatial-temporal land use regression models. Multiple informant models were applied to explore the trimester-specific associations of maternal air pollution exposure with cord blood TL. In single-pollutant models, a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and a 100 μg/m3 increase in CO during the third trimester were related to 3.71% (95% confidence interval [CI]: −6.06%, −1.30%), 3.24% (95% CI: −5.29%, −1.14%), 11.07% (95% CI: −18.86%, −2.53%), and 3.67% (95% CI: −6.27%, −1.00%) shorter cord blood TL, respectively. The inverse relationships between exposures to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO during the third trimester and cord blood TL were more evident in male infants. In multi-pollutant models, exposures to PM2.5 and PM10 during the third trimester were both related to shorter cord blood TL, but not SO2 and CO. This study suggested that maternal exposures to PM2.5, PM10, CO, and SO2 during the third trimester were related to shorter newborn TL, which highlights the importance of improving air quality in favor of subsequent health in later life of newborns. •This is the first study to assess the trimester-specific associations between multiple air pollutants exposure and newborn TL.•Maternal exposure to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO during the third trimester were related to shorter newborn TL.•The inverse effects of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO during the third trimester on newborn TL were more evident in male infants.