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PM exposure during pregnancy affects childhood asthma via placental epigenetic changes: Neuronal differentiation and

Hyo-Bin Kim1, Si Hyeon Lee2, Dae Yeol Yang3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|December 6, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) during pregnancy increases childhood asthma risk. Placental epigenetic changes, specifically DNA hypermethylation in key pathways, are identified as a significant mechanism linking PM exposure to asthma development in offspring.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Epigenetics
  • Pediatric Asthma

Background:

  • Particulate matter (PM) exposure during pregnancy is linked to increased childhood asthma risk.
  • The underlying placental mechanisms remain largely unknown.
  • Epigenetic dysregulation in the placenta is a potential mediator.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate placental epigenetic mechanisms linking prenatal PM exposure to childhood asthma susceptibility.
  • To analyze genome-wide methylation and gene expression in placental samples.
  • To identify specific genes and pathways involved in PM-induced asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of two Korean birth cohorts (COCOA, PSKC) with data on PM10 exposure and childhood asthma at age seven.
  • Genome-wide methylation profiling and gene expression analysis in placental samples from the COCOA cohort.
  • Land-use regression models for estimating prenatal PM10 exposure.

Main Results:

  • High prenatal PM10 exposure was associated with increased risk of current asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR).
  • Significant hypermethylation was observed in genes related to neuronal differentiation, proliferation, and Notch signaling pathways in children with high PM exposure.
  • A predictive model using methylation levels demonstrated high accuracy (AUC 0.96 and 0.93) for PM-related asthma.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal PM10 exposure influences offspring asthma development through placental DNA hypermethylation.
  • Neuronal differentiation, proliferation, and Notch signaling pathways are implicated in this process.
  • Placental methylation patterns can serve as predictive biomarkers for PM-related asthma.

Keywords:
AsthmaEpigenetic dysregulationParticulate matterPlacentaPregnancy

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