Population Cohort-Validated PM_2.5-Induced Gene Signatures: A Machine Learning Approach to Individual Exposure...

Transcriptomic profiling has shown that exposure to PM_2.5, a common air pollutant, can modulate gene expression, which has been linked to negative health effects and diseases. However, there are few population-based cohort studies on the association between PM_2.5 exposure and specific gene set expression. In this study, we used an unbiased transcriptomic profiling approach to examine gene expression in a mouse model exposed to PM_2.5 and to identify PM_2.5-responsive genes. The gene expressions were further validated in both the human cell lines and a population-based cohort study. Two cohorts of healthy older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) were recruited from regions characterized by differing levels of PM_2.5. Logistic regression and decision tree algorithms were then utilized to construct predictive models for PM_2.5 exposure based on these gene expression profiles. Our results indicated that the expression of five genes (FAM102B, PPP2R1B, OXR1, ITGAM, and PRP38B) increased with PM_2.5 exposure in both cell-based assay and population-based cohort studies. Furthermore, the predictive models demonstrated high accuracy in classifying high-and-low PM_2.5 exposure, potentially supporting the integration of gene biomarkers into public health practices.