Newborn glomerular function and gestational particulate air pollution.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Pediatric Nephrology
• Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)

Background:

• Nephron number is linked to long-term health outcomes.
• Gestational exposure to environmental factors can influence fetal development.
• Particulate air pollution is a widespread environmental exposure with potential health consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between gestational exposure to particulate air pollution and cord blood cystatin C levels in newborns.
• To assess cord blood cystatin C as a marker for glomerular health at birth in relation to air pollution.
• To explore the impact of different trimesters of pregnancy on this association.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the ENVIRONAGE cohort, including 1484 mother-child pairs.
• Measured cord blood cystatin C levels as an indicator of glomerular function.
• Employed multiple linear regression and distributed lag models to analyze exposure-response relationships between particulate air pollution (black carbon and PM2.5) and cystatin C levels.

Main Results:

• Increased gestational exposure to black carbon (BC) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was associated with higher cord blood cystatin C levels.
• A 0.5 μg/m³ increase in BC exposure correlated with a 0.04 mg/L rise in cystatin C.
• A 5 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 exposure correlated with a 0.07 mg/L rise in cystatin C.
• The strongest associations were observed with exposure during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Conclusions:

• Particulate air pollution exposure throughout pregnancy, especially from the third trimester onwards, may adversely affect newborn kidney function.
• Elevated cystatin C levels suggest potential impacts on glomerular health at birth.
• These findings underscore the importance of mitigating air pollution for protecting infant kidney health and potentially preventing future health issues.