Short-Term Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide Modifies Genetic Predisposition in Blood Lipid and Fasting Plasma Glucose: A...

(1) Background: Previous studies suggest that exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) has a negative impact on health. But few studies have explored the association between NO₂ and blood lipids or fasting plasma glucose (FPG), as well as gene-air pollution interactions. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap based on a pedigree cohort in southern China. (2) Methods: Employing a pedigree-based design, 1563 individuals from 452 families participated in this study. Serum levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and FPG were measured. We investigated the associations between short-term NO₂ exposure and lipid profiles or FPG using linear mixed regression models. The genotype-environment interaction (GenoXE) for each trait was estimated using variance component models. (3) Results: NO₂ was inversely associated with HDLC but directly associated with TG and FPG. The results showed that each 1 μg/m³ increase in NO₂ on day lag0 corresponded to a 1.926% (95%CI: 1.428-2.421%) decrease in HDLC and a 1.400% (95%CI: 0.341-2.470%) increase in FPG. Moreover, we observed a significant genotype-NO₂ interaction with HDLC and FPG. (4) Conclusion: This study highlighted the association between NO₂ exposure and blood lipid profiles or FPG. Additionally, our investigation suggested the presence of genotype-NO₂ interactions in HDLC and FPG, indicating potential loci-specific interaction effects. These findings have the potential to inform and enhance the interpretation of studies that are focused on specific gene-environment interactions.